Three members of same family die with Covid-19 in a week

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A family is mourning the loss of three loved ones who all died within five days of each other with Covid-19.

Gladys Lewis, 74, from Pentre, Rhondda, died early on Thursday, October 29, at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital. Her son, Dean, a 44-year-old father of three, died at home in Treorchy the next day.

Within hours of the news that Gladys and Dean had passed, friends of the family Alison Higgins and Jemma Hopkins set up a fundraising page to help Gladys' husband David, 81, and the rest of the family.

These include David's daughter Debbie, 41, who at that time had to deal with the deaths of Gladys and Dean while her brother Darren was critical in the ICU.

But Darren, 42, sadly passed away on the evening of Monday, November 2. All of the deaths were confirmed to be Covid-19 related.

Darren and Dean Lewis pictured with Debbie.

Fundraiser Alison, from Treorchy, said: "As one of Debbie's friends, there was no question that they needed help, financially and emotionally from our community.

"This is the stuff of nightmares, it's incomprehensible whats happened. Knowing how much fundraising the family have done over the years, it was only right we came together for them.

"The community are aware of their charitable ways and that shows in how much help we're receiving at the moment.

"We've got various raffles going on and the GoFundMe page has smashed target and continues to accumulate daily. I just want to get this family as much money as possible to support them with the three funerals and use the rest for whatever they may need."

The family are overwhelmed by the fundraising in their hour of need.

Dean's widow, Claire Lewis, 44, said: "As a family, we are extremely grateful to each and every person that has offered us help in any way and are taking some comfort from the hundreds of condolence messages we have all received.

"We are really overwhelmed by the fundraising from what Ali and Jemma are doing with the GoFundMe page, along with food and toys for Gladys' daughter, Debbie's kids and including all the raffles going on from Joanne Rich, Victoria Pritchard and others."