Daughter pays thanks to NGH and ambulance service fighting to save dad's life

Gordon Anderson was admitted to Northampton General Hospital on March 27 where he's remained for more than a month and is still receiving breathing support through a tracheotomy.

The 52-year-old manager at Lodge Tyres in Daventry could barely stomach food in the ten days leading up to his hospital admission and only managed to eat a Happy Meal and one tin of soup before feeling nauseous.

On March 23 he was sent home from work with a persistent cough and a temperature of 37.8 degrees.

His family immediately called 111 but medics told him he did not have the virus and he should take ibuprofen. After getting a second opinion the next day he was told to stop taking the tablets immediately as he could have Covid-19.

But it was three days later when Gordon's family finally got a video call with their GP who recommended the family should call 999 after his breathing became shallow.

Gordan's daughter, Jordan, was on a walk with her brother that evening when she arrived home to see the ambulance tending to her dad in the living room.

She said: "When I got home the ambulance had already arrived and it was quite scary walking into the living room to see them in full protective equipment.

"After doing their tests, they found that his oxygen levels were very low. Originally they weren't going to take him in because he wasn’t presenting as an acutely unwell man, however after a call to the doctors they then decided it would be best to take him in. We were told by the ambulance crew that we wasn’t allowed to go with him, which we already knew, however at that moment it really sunk in just how serious this was.

"Dad even walked to the ambulance himself and carried his own overnight bag. As the ambulance drove off and the blue lights went on, we all stood at the doorstep and broke down because we didn’t know when we were going to see him again."

Gordon, who suffers from no underlying health conditions, is now Covid-19 free.

He has been moved off the coronavirus ward to make a recovery but is still weak and needs time for his organs to recover.

Jordan added: "Everyday is different, some days are positive and some are very scary, we’re just trying take each day as it comes.

"However, he is now Covid free and has moved to a non-covid intensive care unit ward.

"He’s having a lot of support with the organs that it has affected. He’s incredibly lucky to have such an amazing team of nurses and doctors looking after him on a day-to day-basis.

"We just need him to continue to find the amazing strength he’s had to continue fighting the aftermath of this disease.

"I would also like to just say a huge thank you to everyone looking after my dad at NGH and to everybody at the East Midlands ambulance service, because without them my dad wouldn’t still be fighting."