Family’s sadness at Wigan grandad's Covid-19 death

The family of a Wigan grandad who died with Covid-19 have paid tribute to him.

Leonard Jackson, from Hindley Green, was 68 when he died in Wigan Infirmary on April 17.

His daughter Helen Rix spoke of the “frightening” speed at which Mr Jackson’s health deteriorated once he had been diagnosed with the virus.

She also spoke of how difficult it is to have a family member in hospital and then mourn for them at a time of severe restrictions on visiting health facilities and social distancing.

In the end only she and Mr Jackson’s widow Irene attended his funeral, with everyone else grieving at home with a video link to the service.

Mrs Rix also said the family have been left with questions about Mr Jackson’s treatment as the coronavirus meant they could not be at his bedside speaking to doctors and nurses while he was ill.

In particular they wish to know about the criteria for ventilators, which they were told Mr Jackson, who had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and was in a wheelchair, did not meet. They also wonder about him being moved between wards in the early days of his admission, as he did not originally go into hospital with symptoms of the coronavirus.

Mrs Rix said: “He wasn’t an unwell man and the speed that he deteriorated with this virus was frightening.

“You can’t grieve properly. I can’t even be with my mum when she’s just been widowed.

“You would normally come together to comfort each other as a family when you’ve lost someone and you can’t do that. It’s heartbreaking.

“My dad would have turned 69 on the day of his funeral. He started off in the police and then worked in the prison service. After he retired from that he went to university and did a degree in health and social care and became a lecturer at Salford University.

“There are some questions we would like answering. As long as we know everything was done in the best possible way for my dad.

“We just don’t know what and how the decisions were made about him, or about the criteria for ventilation, because we couldn’t be there at the hospital with him. It’s just really hard. I’m also positive that he picked up Covid-19 in the hospital after going in with a non-related illness.

“I’m not criticising the NHS. I appreciate the hard work they are doing and it’s a really stressful time. We don’t really know fully how to deal with this virus and they are having to try different things.”

Mr Jackson went into hospital with an urinary tract infection on April 7. He was due to be discharged to a rehab facility on April 10 but as he was waiting to go began to develop breathing difficulties.

He was tested again for Covid-19 and this time the result came back positive. His condition sadly went downhill and he died a week later.

His wife Irene was able to don full personal protective equipment (PPE) to be at his bedside during some of his final days, but the rest of his family was unable to see him.

Mrs Rix said she had found consolation and comfort through the Facebook group Yellow Hearts to Remember Covid-19, where other families going through the same grieving process at this time can share their experiences.

Mr Jackson is survived by his widow Irene, his three daughters Kathryn, Helen and Heather, and his seven grandchildren.

A spokesperson for the borough’s hospitals said: “Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust wishes to offer their sincere condolences to Mr Jackson’s family, and are sorry to hear that they have cause to be concerned about the care and treatment Mr Jackson received.

“The trust was unable to locate contact being made by Mr Jackson’s family in relation to concerns raised regarding his treatment. However, the trust would be happy to look into these when national suspension of the NHS Complaints Procedure which was introduced in the middle of March has been lifted.”