Mother's heartbreaking story of son's worsening condition in care during coronavirus

11 July 2020, 10:09

Caller's story of her son's life in a care home

By Seán Hickey

Andrew Pierce heard the harrowing story from a mother whose son's condition has deteriorated during the pandemic.

Stephanie's son Tom is in his thirties and has "a very very rare form of dementia" and she told Andrew Pierce that "he's on borrowed time," but the coronavirus pandemic is preventing her from seeing him.

She told Andrew that "he used to have visitors every day" but because of lockdown that has stopped, "patients like my son" Stephanie said, have "declined enormously."

The caller commended the work of her sons carers, telling Andrew that "the hospital bent over backwards to make us feel at home and welcome" and that "they look after him and me like we're the only people in the world."

The caller told Andrew that she "absolutely understands that the economy has to get cracking" but told listeners "for the few of us with people in hospital, my god it's very hard."

Stephanie told the story of not seeing her son as his condition deteriorates
Stephanie told the story of not seeing her son as his condition deteriorates. Picture: PA

Andrew asked if her son Tom sees the same carers regularly, which she said he luckily does have a regular group that care for him.

"They look after him beautifully" said Stephanie, who beamed at the work that her sons carers have done to keep him comfortable.

She said that when she sees what is done for her son by these people in his home, all she can think is that "these people are angels."

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