A FAMILY has revealed their devastation after their beloved grandma died weeks after catching Covid at her husband’s funeral.
Barbara Barnett, 81, who has pulmonary fibrosis, died at Papworth Hospital this month after testing positive for Covid-19.
She and the rest of her family caught the virus at her husband Brian’s funeral two days before Christmas.
Barbara’s son-in-law Tony is now in intensive care fighting for his life against Covid-19.
Her family, led by granddaughter Laura Morgan, are raising money for Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis in her honour.
Brian, who was 85, had a fall at home in Parson’s Heath Colchester in late November.
He was taken to Addenbrookes where he was on life-support but sadly, doctors discovered he was brain dead.
The decision was made to switch off his life-support machine on November 27.
His funeral took place on December 23.
Several of his close-family members later tested positive for coronavirus.
Laura, 30, said: "Me and my father both tested positive on December 27 so the rest of the family were tested on the 28th. Everyone came back positive.
"At this stage nan hadn’t shown any symptoms but we ordered her an at home kit to double check as she had pulmonary fibrosis and we were concerned she could deteriorate quickly if she was positive.
"Her result came back on New Year’s Day as positive. She got very panicked from the result of the test, and her breathing deteriorated.
"My mum had to phone for an ambulance and she was taken into hospital because of her condition."
Barbara was in hospital for two weeks.
Although not suffering seriously from symptoms of Covid, her fibrosis was causing severe breathing problems and she passed away on January 18.
As if losing two grandparents in the space of a month was not hard enough, Laura's father Tony is fighting for his life in ICU on a ventilator.
She said: "Grandad was such a huge shock because he was the most active strongest 85 year old you would ever have met. We all thought he’d live to.
"So for him to go the way he did just felt so unjust and cruel.
"Our nan had already outdone the predictions she was given with her life expectancy so although her passing was expected, it was no easier.
"I really do think after grandad passed, she had nothing left in her to fight for and that she wanted to be with her Brian. We knew she would not be far behind him."
The couple, who had three daughters and four grandchildren, were thought of by their loved ones as the heads of the family.
Laura said: "They were the kind of couple everyone aspired to be. Such unwavering love for each other.
"Nan was always playing pranks on us and winding people up. Life was a game to her and she loved it.
"Grandad was much calmer, we called him our gentle giant and he was the kind of person that absolutely no one he ever met had a bad word to say about him."
She added: "Dad being in hospital just makes everything even more heartbreaking at the moment."
The family raised £1,800 shortly after Brian's death and are asking for donations this time in honour of Barbara.
Laura said: "We just hope that in the future more can be done to understand more about the condition nan had and hope that in the future other families will get to have more time with their own grandparents."
Donate at https://uk.gf.me/v/c/g3yf/299xudznmo.
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