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'We never saw her again' – call for Covid memorial

Sophie Millward
BBC Hereford and Worcester
Family Two women smile in a bar while holding drinks. The younger woman on the left wears a purple top, and the older woman on the right wears a navy jacket and top.Family
Emma Lewis's mother went into hospital in January 2021 and Covid visiting restrictions meant she would not see her again alive

A woman from Hereford, who lost her mother to hospital-acquired Covid-19 in 2021 is calling for a memorial garden to remember those lost to the virus.

Emma Lewis, unable to say goodbye due to visiting restrictions, said it was important for families to have a space to reflect and grieve.

Her mother, Marilyn, 80, was admitted to Hereford County Hospital in January 2021 for low blood pressure and potassium levels. However, Emma was never able to visit her and she contracted Covid and C. difficile and died.

Hereford County Hospital has apologised for the lack of communication around Marilyn's death.

"We never saw her again. We didn't even get to see her on video," Emma said.

"We have no information at all. She must have been so scared and alone."

Family A smiling young boy, around five years old with ginger hair and his eyes closed, standing next to a woman with short brunette hair and a fringe, both in front of a green hedge.Family
Marilyn Lewis (right) was also close to Emma's nephew Jake, who lost both of his grandmothers to Covid within weeks of each other

Emma, a member of the Covid Bereaved Families for Justice group, is involved in a memorial event on Sunday, marking five years since the first lockdown was announced.

"It's important we remember the quarter of a million people who died from Covid," she said.

Her nephew Jake Dixon, who lost both of his grandmothers to Covid within six weeks, remembers the time vividly.

"For me, the worst part was that the day I found out she had Covid was actually my 19th birthday," he said.

"I always look back on that day now with bitterness instead of celebration."

Jake, now 21, will be singing at the memorial service. He said it was important for every family who lost someone during the pandemic to have a safe space to remember them.

Family An older woman smiles in a sunlit garden, holding a basket of plants. Surrounded by greenery and under clear blue skies, she wears a black jacket and top.Family
Marilyn Lewis died in February 2021

Emma, who has previously organised vigils at Hereford Cathedral, hopes to secure funding for a memorial garden at Hereford Cathedral .

"I envision a vigil with people sharing stories, hymns, a choir, and a reading of the names of those we lost, accompanied by pictures," she said.

In a statement, Wye Valley NHS Trust, which runs the hospital said: "We recognise how difficult it was for patients and their families while restricted visiting was in place during the pandemic, and we are sorry that we did not always communicate effectively with Emma Lewis."

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