"Me and my dad were both admitted with serious Covid infection"

Unfortunately my dad & I both were both admitted to ward 2 North Craigavon Hospital late January this year, after testing positive for Covid 19 at the beginning of January.

We were both quite ill at one point after contracting the disease & required the specialised treatment & machines on Ward 2 North. The staff we both encountered could only be described as absolute angels, when you are in there they are not only your nurses but they are your family & friends when you need them, & their first class care & attention is what got us through.

Thankfully we are two of the very fortunate patients that came through the other side of covid, not totally unscathed, but we are still some of the lucky ones. From the moment we both entered the ward the staff could not do enough for us, they are paid to tend to all your medical needs but they certainly are not paid enough for how well they treat you when you are there.

All you get to see each day is their smiley eyes, behind all the PPE, and hear their cheery voices. How they keep so upbeat in their position is still a mystery to me, I am still in total awe of how they come to work day after day in such a stressful situation with such good attitudes.

As I said my dad & I were admitted at the same time, as the week progressed & we began to improve the nurses took the time to ask if I wanted to go round and see my dad, even though we were only one ward away it wasn't just as easy as getting up and walking to see him. When we were both going through possibly the worst week of our lives, it meant the absolute world to be able to see each other, and the nurses went above and beyond to make it happen.

I do not envy our poor family who were at home waiting on calls from the doctor to see if our levels had improved or if we were getting better, but they all commented that each doctor and nurse they spoke to always put them at ease and kept them reassured that we were in the best place and they were doing everything for us that we needed to try to continue to get better.

We always took covid very serious in our house but it is only when you are in there and suffering that you experience the harsh reality of what it is really like. We only saw a small snapshot of time on the ward, but all of the staff who work there have been going through this intense stress and pressure on a daily basis for the last year.

We cannot thank the nurses, doctors, physios and every member of staff on Ward 2 North enough for what they did for us, and how well they treated us. We hope to never require their medical care again but we wanted them to know how appreciative we are of everything  they do.

Please believe me when I say that standing out clapping does not even start to come close to what these people deserve as a sign of appreciation.

Thanks again.