99-year-old given 'hero's welcome' after surviving coronavirus intensive care treatment
A great-great-grandmother who will turn 100 in December has returnedhome to a "hero's welcome" after recovering from coronavirus.
Edna Murray fell at her home in Tremorfa, Cardiff, on April 8 and wastaken to the University Hospital of Wales where she wasdiagnosed with Covid-19.
She spent time in intensive care before being transferred to theDragon's Heart Hospital at the Principality Stadium the day after itopened.
At one point the situation got so bad that her son and daughter wereasked by doctors to complete a 'do not attempt CPR' form.
But against the odds, the determined 99-year-old made good progressand was discharged home - with a package of care in place - onTuesday, June 2.
"I'm so grateful to the NHS for saving my mum's life - I'm beyondwords," said her son Tony Murray, who is originally from Cardiff butmoved to Canada.
"I thank them from the bottom of my heart."
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Edna, who survived the Second World War and the tail end of theSpanish flu, was found to have the virus before she developed anysymptoms.
She began to deteriorate while in UHW and was put in intensive carebut did not need a ventilator.
"My sister Margaret phoned me twice a day to keep me updated,"recalled Tony, who was in Cardiff just a few weeks before his mumbecame ill to watch the Six Nations game with Scotland which waseventually cancelled.
"Because of her age we obviously thought the worst could happen toher. I was just gutted."
Tony said Edna was just the second patient to be transferred to theDragon's Heart Hospital for ongoing care.
"When I heard she was being moved there I didn't think it was goodnews," he added.
"I managed to speak to her on the phone, via a nurse, and she wassounding confused and her memory wasn't great. She'd also lost a lotof weight."
But miraculously Edna - a mum-of-two, grandmother-of-four,great-grandmother-of-four and a great-great-grandmother of one - beganto improve and within three weeks of making initial signs of recovery,she was back home.
"She's very determined - a fighter," Tony added. "She's got a great sense of humour, she's always cracking jokes. My mum is just a very positive person.
"As a family we are stunned by how amazing the NHS is."Edna is now receiving physiotherapy and is having regular visits from carers.