The daughter of a mother who died from coronavirus at a Birmingham hospital has issued a heartfelt plea to the public to stay safe as she advised against huge gatherings.
Dalvinder Kaur-Kelly's 67-year-old mother Joginder died after contracting coronavirus at a wedding in mid-September which was reportedly attended by over 100 guests and in clear breach of Covid-19 restrictions. Apparently over 50 guests were infected with the virus. The wedding took place in Derby on September 19, when up to 30 people were allowed to attend.
Dalvinder, whose mum was cared for at the Birmingham Queen Elizabeth Hospital, said, "My mum should still be here, but she felt pressured to go. If you are worried, don't keep quiet - speak up. It is so senseless. My mother went from the wedding to being admitted to hospital in less than 10 days. A few weeks later we were arranging her funeral."
After the ceremony Joginder went to the reception 35 miles away in Walsall. Guests at the event had reportedly travelled from as far afield as Essex, London and Liverpool.
Joginder tested positive on September 24 and was admitted to hospital four days later, and died in October. Now, her daughter has started a fundraiser for the hospital’s critical care unit and she said, "I just want to tell people not to go to huge gatherings. "If you're going to host something, a gathering, be compliant - if you can, please don't involve clinically vulnerable people in your plans. A mere invitation from somebody can be pressure, please don't feel pressured and speak up. Covid is real. It's there and it's destroying lives. There is a vaccine on its way, so make sure your loved ones are here to celebrate next Christmas and New Year."
The GoFundMe page, Dalvinder also noted, "In her final days my mum was cared for by amazing doctors and nursing staff. I will forever be grateful to them for their kindness to her. My last conversation with her was in a Zoom call. The call was made using one of the Hospital's iPads. We were able to tell her we loved her and she said she loved us too.
“Being unable to be with a family member who is critically ill, is devastating for all concerned, particularly the patient. Family contact is so important, especially as part of end-of-life care. I hope through this fundraising request, we can help others to maintain family contact with their loved ones during their time of need. My Mother received excellent care. I hope this appeal will go some way to assist others to also receive such care."
