London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Oct 24, 2025

‘Fighter’ grandma, 86, beats Covid-19 after surviving Hitler and heart surgery

An 86-year-old woman who ‘survived Hitler, open-heart surgery, two replacement knees and two replacement hips’ has proved she is a fighter once again by beating coronavirus.
Doctors were reportedly considering a ‘do not resuscitate’ order after Barbara Briley was admitted with a fractured spine and tested positive for Covid-19 at Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham.

But against all odds, the grandmother-of-three, from Wollaton, ‘bounced back’ and her family have now shared her story to remind people that a coronavirus diagnosis is not a death sentence for the elderly or those with underlying health conditions.

After fracturing her hip in February, Barbara suffered a second fall during physiotherapy on March 12 and was rushed to A&E with a fractured spine.

She tested positive for coronavirus and became very sick six days later when her chest filled with fluid, Nottinghamshire Live reports.

Barbara’s daughter, Karen Gabriel said the family were ‘expecting a call’ to inform them of the worst – but it never came.

The mother-of-three, who had worked as a newsagent, was born just before the Second World War and had told her children stories of running through the Colwick woods as the bombers flew overhead.

Her ‘fighting spirit’ shone through again when she survived Covid-19 with the help of NHS staff and she is now determined to leave hospital as soon as possible after spending most of her time in quarantine.

Taking to Facebook to share the good news, Babara’s son Richard Briley wrote: ‘This is me with my mum she has survived Hitler open heart surgery 2 replacement knees and 2 replacement hips.

‘Few weeks ago she fell fractured her hip 2 ribs and her spine. Last week she was diagnosed with Covid 19 and spent a week in intensive care she is 86…….

‘Today she has been given the all clear this is the sort of thing the media should be concentrating on there is hope people [sic].’

Speaking to Nottinghamshire Live, Karen said her mother is proof that ‘not everyone has to die. It gives you hope that old people and those with underlying health conditions [can survive].’

Babara’s grandson James Gabriel, 24 added that his grandma is looking forward to getting back to her group of friends and remains a ‘very cemented member of the Wollaton community’.

He said: ‘One thing nanny would say is a massive thank you for all of the support. It’s not a miracle. It’s hard work from the NHS and her fighting spirit.’

Barbara’s story emerges just days after grandfather Ewart Lockton, 87, was pictured saying goodbye to staff at North Manchester Hospital after battling coronavirus for two weeks.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
China and Russia Deploy Seductive Espionage Networks to Infiltrate U.S. Tech Sector
Apple’s ‘iPhone Air’ Collapses After One Month — Another Major Misstep for the Tech Giant
Graham Potter Begins New Chapter as Sweden Head Coach on Short-Term Deal
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Alleges Poison Plot via Chocolate and Jam
Lakestar to Halt External Fundraising as Investor in Revolut and Spotify
U.S. Innovation Ranking Under Scrutiny as China Leads Output Outputs but Ranks 10th
Three Men Arrested in London on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
×