London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Sep 15, 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
London Daily Podcast: London Massive Pro Democracy Rally, Musk Support, UK Economic Data and Premier League Results Mark Eventful Weekend
This Week in AI: Meta’s Superintelligence Push, xAI’s Ten Billion-Dollar Raise, Genesis AI’s Robotics Ambitions, Microsoft Restructuring, Amazon’s Million-Robot Milestone, and Google’s AlphaGenome Update
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Musk calls for new UK government at huge pro-democracy rally in London, but Britons have been brainwashed to obey instead of fighting for their human rights
Elon Musk responds to post calling for the murder of Erika Kirk, widow of Charlie Kirk: 'Either we fight back or they will kill us'
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
USA: Office Depot Employees Refused to Print Poster in Memory of Charlie Kirk – and Were Fired
Proposed U.S. Bill Would Allow Civil Suits Against Judges Who Release Repeat Violent Offenders
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
French Debt Downgrade Piles Pressure on Macron’s New Prime Minister
US and UK Near Tech, Nuclear and Whisky Deals Ahead of Trump Trip
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
Anesthesiologist Left Operation Mid-Surgery to Have Sex with Nurse
Tens of Thousands of Young Chinese Get Up Every Morning and Go to Work Where They Do Nothing
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
The German Owner of Politico Mathias Döpfner Eyes Further U.S. Media Expansion After Axel Springer Restructuring
Suspect Arrested: Utah Man in Custody for Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting
In a politically motivated trial: Bolsonaro Sentenced to 27 Years for Plotting Coup After 2022 Defeat
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
×