A GREAT Sankey couple, who have been together for 55 years, were reunited at home in time for Christmas after the coronavirus almost claimed their lives.

Dave and Lin Attew feared they would never leave Warrington Hospital or see each other again when they were admitted for urgent care just a day apart from each other.

It was a particularly tough battle for Lin, 76, who was in a medically induced coma for around a month and was not expected to survive.

Now, after two and a half months in hospital, they are looking forward to the new year they thought they would not live to see.

The couple described their experience and the worry for their family – including three children Cathy, Jane and John and five grandchildren – as 'horrendous' and Dave now needs oxygen at all times due to the impact coronavirus has had on his life.

But their consultant called them his 'Covid-19 miracles' and they are looking towards 2021 with optimism.

Lin, who was on a ventilator in intensive care, said: "It’s been awful but we’re getting there now. Getting home for Christmas was the main thing we were working towards.

"Every time the doctors came around we would say: ‘Will we be home in time?’ And for a long time the answer was: ‘We don’t know yet’.

"So when they told us we would leaving hospital before Christmas, it was like Christmas Day in that very moment.

"Honestly, I can’t thank the doctors, nurses and carers enough. They were absolutely brilliant. I cannot fault any of them. I couldn’t have managed without them."

Dave went into hospital on October 2 and Lin was in a bed by his side by the next day. They eventually came home on December 16 and December 14 respectively.

Warrington Guardian:

Their daughter Cathy said: "I spoke to my dad and he couldn’t catch his breath or remember anything. He couldn’t really speak at all so I called 111 and that’s when they decided to take him in.

"My mum was assessed as ok but someone had dropped off some medication for her and when she went to the door she collapsed and banged her head.

"When the ambulance came her breathing had gone really bad as well.

"At first my dad seemed to be managing ok but I phoned later that day and they couldn’t regulate his breathing. By the next day he had been taken to intensive care.

"My mum never got to a ward. She went straight into intensive care."

Dave, 75, added: "It was horrendous. I don’t remember much of what happened at first but I do remember waking up in the ICU unit and they said: ‘We’ve got good news and bad news’.

"The bad news is your wife’s being admitted, the good news is she’s in the bed next to you. I couldn’t believe that. So I could actually see her.

"But then she was put into a coma and it wasn’t such a good idea being in the next bed because you can hear the doctors talking and, to be honest, they didn’t give her a good chance of getting out of this. She’s done really well."

They were separated when Dave was transferred to the oxygen high dependency ward.

He feared the worst but Lin eventually improved and was taken out of the coma.

Dave said: "The nurses were brilliant. They used to wheel me down to see her. It was the first time I’d seen her in five weeks. We had a little natter, there were a few tears.

"Lin was later brought to another ward but by that time, I could walk again so the nurses would walk me down to Lin’s ward nearly every day."

Warrington Guardian:

Meanwhile, Dave and Lin's family were doing their best to cope. Cathy, Jane and John could not see their parents and the first image they saw of their dad since entering hospital was on a Sky News report.

Cathy said: "It was a huge shock. It happened so fast. One minute we’re having a normal conversation with them, the next we’re told they’re both in intensive care.

"Just trying to figure out how they’d gone from being absolutely fine to that and my mum being put in a coma was unfathomable so there was a lot of tears and a lot of panic.

"We were far away and we knew we couldn’t visit or speak to them. It’s even harder because you can’t do anything. You can’t check they’re ok.

"My dad was on a Sky News report about the 'black box' (technology ordinarily used to help sleep apnoea patients modified to help provide oxygen for Covid patients).

"They had him as the end image of life on the ward and you could see from that how devastating coronavirus is.

"That was the first we’d seen of him since he’d been in hospital. That shocked everybody – that sudden transformation from him being well to him gasping for breath and on oxygen."

Cathy's lifeline was calling Warrington Hospital twice a day.

She added: "I called at 11am and 6pm every day and they were amazing. They were giving me as much information as they felt we were able to cope with. It was almost like a security blanket to be told exactly how they were and whether they were improving.

"They were never giving false hope but they were always keeping us completely in the loop."

Lin and Dave also spent their 55th anniversary in hospital but feel it is a very small price to pay after their recovery and Christmas at home.

Dave said: "Behind each bed you had a board which basically told you all the patient’s information but at the bottom it had a section for the person’s wish in life.

"Most of them had put to get over Covid but I’d put for my wife to live.

"For anyone who goes through a serious case of coronavirus, it will be the worst experience they’ve ever had."

Their miraculous recovery has been the biggest Christmas present for their children and grandkids Josh, 23 and Emma, 16, from Warrington as well as Eleanor, 13, Jessica, 13, and Lawrence, 10.

Speaking before Christmas, Dave added: "I’m going to miss not seeing the kids but it is the same situation for everyone in England.

"It is going to be quiet but we’re going to enjoy it and we’ll be having Whatsapp chats so we can see each other and watch the kids open their presents."

Lin said: "When we got home we had so many get well cards, neighbours knocking on the door and friends bringing food.

"I can’t thank everybody enough. We've been overwhelmed by people's kindness."