'We never imagined mummy would not come home'

Linda Wright was admitted to Altnagelvin Hospital with lung and heart conditions

The daughter of a woman who died with Covid-19 has described watching the UK Covid Inquiry in Belfast as bringing back her “pain and injustice”.

Linda Wright, 62, from Londonderry, died after six days in hospital in December 2020.

She had been admitted with heart and lung conditions, and Covid-19 was diagnosed while in hospital.

Her daughter Karina Cummings said the family never imagined Ms Wright would not come home.

Karina Cummings said the Covid Inquiry has been difficult for her family

The UK Covid-19 Inquiry has been hearing the first of three weeks of evidence in Belfast.

“We thought she’s a fighter she’ll pull through,” Karina told BBC News NI.

Ms Wright was admitted to Altnagelvin on 22 December 2020 – at the height of the pandemic when restrictions to stop the spread of the virus were at their peak.

She had previously had a heart attack and doctors were also investigating a shadow on her lung.

“My mum was a complex case, they didn’t know what this was on her lung and they couldn’t get a biopsy, it was too risky,” Karina said.

Before admission, her oxygen levels had dropped. However Karina and her family “didn’t think it was as serious as passing away six days later”.

Karina Cummings and her sister Michelle Stewart received a daily update

Ms Wright had five daughters despite being told that she might never have children.

She had also been born with a type of Spina bifida, a condition when the spinal cord fails to develop properly.

Her daughter described her as “a walking miracle” who didn’t deserve to have to “fight at the beginning of her and then to fight at the end like that.

“It was just awful.”

The family’s communication with their mum all but stopped when she was admitted, save for a single daily update from staff, according to Karina.

The family asked if their mum could get connected to the hospital wi-fi, but they say that never happened.

“We kept asking can we please get her connected, to tell her to keep fighting, that we love her,” Karina said.

“It was coming up to Christmas as well, that was really hard, not to get any message, not to know how she was doing.

“We just desperately wanted to speak to my mummy, that was the one thing that we wanted.”

‘Just heartbreaking’

On 28 December Ms Wright was allowed one visitor.

Karina went to see her mum.

“To begin with she didn’t recognise who I was with the whole PPE and boiler suit. I was saying everyone was wanting her to pull through, she seemed ok.

“I left the hospital positive,” Karina said.

But within the hour her mum was dead.

“We don’t know who was with her, if she was on her own. It is just heart-breaking,” Karina said.

Strict public health rules dictated how Ms Wright would be buried.

No priest was present, the family could not travel together, and no more than 25 people could attend.

“It was absolutely horrendous to be honest,” Karina said.

“We don’t know what she was wearing and we didn’t get to see her. It does not give you any closure”.

Watching the UK Covid Inquiry, which earlier this week moved to Belfast, has meant the family have relived the trauma of their mum’s death, she said.

“To hear other people and what they went through its just really, really tough. I thought I have to tell our story,” Karina said.

She said her mum was “a fighter to the end” who didn’t deserve for her life to end in the way that it did.

“It was such an injustice, I think, for how amazing she was as a person,” Karina said.

A Western Health and Social Trust spokesperson said staff followed infection prevention and control guidelines at the time.

It added it will not comment on individual cases.