London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Aug 25, 2025

Daughter says final goodbye to mum lying next to her in Covid intensive care

Daughter says final goodbye to mum lying next to her in Covid intensive care

A daughter has told of the heartbreak of struggling to hear her mother’s final words through an oxygen helmet as they both battled Covid-19 in intensive care.

Anabel Sharma, 49, and her mother Maria Rico, 76, were admitted to the ICU on the same day and put on oxygen a few beds away from each other in mid-October.

Around two weeks later, the pair were reunited when medics wheeled Anabel’s bed next to her mum’s. But she was told the devastating news that her mother had just days to live.

The final picture taken of the mother and daughter together shows them holding hands side-by-side in the ICU at Leicester Royal Infirmary. Just 24 hours later, Maria passed away on November 1.

Anabel told Metro.co.uk: ‘That photo was the first time I saw my mum since we had been admitted to intensive care. I couldn’t really hear what she was saying because she had a mask on and I had my helmet on.

‘The doctor had to relay what she was saying to me because whenever they took our hoods off to talk, the oxygen would go really low so we had to keep them on.


Anabel has been left with permanent lung damage and needs oxygen every day


‘I could catch a few words like “cremation” and “funeral”… The doctor knelt beside me and said your mum is dying, she signed a Do Not Resuscitate order.

‘I remember begging her saying “please, why are you doing this, why have you signed this?”

‘The doctor said she had been assessed by three people and they were satisfied she knew what she was doing.’

Anabel, who has asthma, spent a total of five weeks in intensive care and had to watch her mother’s funeral alone through a screen in her hospital bed.

She has since been left with permanent lung damage and still needs oxygen to breathe.

The mother-of-three shared her story on the Humans of Covid-19 Facebook page, set up by London doctor Benji Rozen, to raise awareness of the devastating reality of coronavirus for many.


Anabel struggled to hear her mother’s final words through her oxygen hood


She said: ‘I feel it’s important not to tell people what to do but tell people what it is really like and hope it makes people think hard about their choices… and the staff that are trying to pick up all the pieces.’

Anabel, who works as a manager for the NHS’ Academy of Community Health Experts, had become the main carer in the house after her 12-year-old son Isaac developed Covid-19 symptoms.

Within days her two other sons Jacob, 22, and Noah, 10, got symptoms and husband Bharat, 47, and mum Maria, who had asthma and diabetes, became largely bed-bound.

But Anabel too became seriously unwell and began fainting while suffering with shortness of breath. She called 111 and was told to ring for an ambulance.

When the paramedics arrived, she was told her temperature was more than 40C and her oxygen was at a dangerously low level of 65%. Anything below 94% is considered low.

Worried about her mother, Anabel asked medics to check on her and they agreed that Maria should also be admitted.


Anabel and Maria were able to say goodbye after their beds were wheeled together


When they arrived at Leicester Royal Infirmary, the mother and daughter were placed a few bays from one another – but they couldn’t see each other. She said ‘kind’ medics acted as messengers between the pair, and said it was ‘comforting’ to know her mother was nearby.

The day the mother and daughter were reunited, Anabel was so distressed at the news her mum was dying that she had to be sedated.

Anabel was awoken the following day and wheeled over to her mum where her sister was waiting in full PPE to say their goodbyes.

‘She said she wasn’t afraid to die, that she was really proud of us,’ said Anabel.

The mother has now been at home for several weeks, but suffers with night terrors and has been diagnosed with PTSD, which she said is common for people who spend a long time in intensive care.

A few weeks after returning home, she took gifts to the ICU medics who saved her life.

‘I wanted them to see me. Not the person in the bed,’ she added. ‘We all cried because they said they didn’t see many patients with Covid coming back.

‘I felt so sad because they were working so hard working seven days a week to save people. You could see it in their faces, how demoralised they felt.’

She added: ‘I just want people to really think about how hard it is for everybody but especially for them.’

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Vietnam Evacuates Hundreds of Thousands as Typhoon Kajiki Strikes; China’s Sanya Shuts Down
UK Government Delays Decision on China’s Proposed London Embassy Amid Concerns Over Redacted Plans
A 150-Year Tradition to Be Abolished? Uproar Over the Popular Central Park Attraction
A new faith called Robotheism claims artificial intelligence isn’t just smart but actually God itself
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner Purchases Third Property Amid Housing Tax Reforms Debate
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Italian Facebook Group Sharing Intimate Images Without Consent Shut Down Amid Police Investigation
Dutch Foreign Minister Resigns Amid Deadlock Over Israel Sanctions
Trump and Allies Send Messages of Support to Ukraine on Independence Day Amid Ongoing Conflict
China Reels as Telegram Chat Group Shares Hidden-Camera Footage of Women and Children
Sam Nicoresti becomes first transgender comedian to win Edinburgh Comedy Award
Builders uncover historic human remains in Lancashire house renovation
Australia Wants to Tax Your Empty Bedrooms
MotoGP Cameraman Narrowly Avoids Pedro Acosta Crash at Hungarian Grand Prix
FBI Investigates John Bolton Over Classified Documents in High-Profile Raids
Report reveals OpenAI pitched national ChatGPT Plus subscription to UK ministers
Labour set to freeze income tax thresholds in long-term 'stealth' tax raid
Coca‑Cola explores sale of Costa coffee chain
Trial hears dog walker was chased and fatally stabbed by trio
Restaurateur resigns from government hospitality council over tax criticism
Spanish City funfair shut after serious ride injury
Suspected arson at Ilford restaurant leaves three in critical condition
Tottenham beat Manchester City to go top of Premier League
Bank holiday heatwave to hit 30°C before remnants of Hurricane Erin arrive
UK to deploy immigration advisers to West Africa to block fake visas
Nurse who raped woman continued working for a year despite police alert
Drought forces closures of England’s canal routes, canceling boat holidays
Sweet tooth scents: food-inspired perfumes surge as weight-loss drugs suppress appetites
Experts warn Britain dangerously reliant on imported food
Family of Notting Hill Carnival murder victim call event unmanageable
Bunkers, Billions and Apocalypse: The Secret Compounds of Zuckerberg and the Tech Giants
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
New York Appeals Court Voids Nearly $500 Million Civil Fraud Penalty Against Trump While Upholding Fraud Liability
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
Child-free hotels spark controversy
North Korea is where this 95-year-old wants to die. South Korea won’t let him go. Is this our ally or a human rights enemy?
Hong Kong Launches Regulatory Regime and Trials for HKD-Backed Stablecoins
China rehearses September 3 Victory Day parade as imagery points to ‘loyal wingman’ FH-97 family presence
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
MSNBC Rebrands as MS NOW Amid Comcast’s Cable Spin-Off
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
×