'We were pleased to have him home for Father's Day': Daughter delighted as dad returns home to Daventry after three month Covid-19 battle

These are the words of Jordan Anderson who welcomed her dad, Gordon, home on Saturday evening after he spent 86 days at Northampton General Hospital while battling Covid-19.

Gordon was admitted to NGH on March 27 with coronavirus, which came as a surprise to the family as he had only taken one day off work ill in 15 years.

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, which later led to an 86-day stint in hospital.

After almost three months, Gordon was given the good news that he was well enough to return home to continue his recovery with his family on Saturday.

His daughter, Jordan, told the Chronicle & Echo: "We were so excited when they finally confirmed that he was coming home on Saturday. It was the best feeling in the world going to pick him up. Dad was adamant that he was going to be home for Father’s Day. He was telling all the nurses that he had to be home for this weekend and he was.

"We’ve spent the weekend making up for the time we lost over the last few months and celebrated one of the most special Father’s Day’s we’ve had yet all feeling a lot more grateful for what we have.

"I organised for a small group of family and close friends to come and clap outside the house to welcome him home, however around 150 people turned up, all stood two metres apart lining the road home and clapped for him. It was amazing. He even got an escort home from the Lodge Tyre boys he works with."

Gordon, who beat coronavirus in May, needed to stay at the hospital for a further month to allow his damaged kidneys to recover and receive vital support from medics who helped him to walk, talk and eat again.

Gordon added: "I was very upset when I found out I had Covid, I thought I would’ve been one of the last people to get it because I had my age and my health on my side.

"I actually rang home on the Friday that I was admitted and told my family I’d be home the following Tuesday. However, I was unconscious for 10 weeks - so it doesn’t really feel like I was in there for that long. Right now, I feel okay again. I’m just feeling very weak."

As he left the hospital on Saturday to return home to Daventry, staff from A&E, Critical Care and Finedon ward all lined the route to clap and wave him off.

Teams from the East Midlands Ambulance Service also joined in and lit up the route with blue lights.

He said: "I felt very emotional and overwhelmed. The staff lined the route from the hospital to the car and clapped me out.

"I just felt so appreciative to all of the staff that cared for me but I’m so glad to finally be home."