Richard and Rebecca’s #BehindTheMask experience is saddening, read it here

Like so many Dads across our district, Richard is very close with his daughter – his little girl is his world and in Rebecca’s eyes, her Dad is her world too. They speak all the time, they see each other every day; an unbreakable bond or so they thought.

In March, despite taking as many precautions as he could, Richard caught Coronavirus. To protect Rebecca, they stayed apart for weeks while he suffered at home, in bed and alone, relying only on technology to keep them connected and in contact. It was the worst two weeks of his life not just because the virus had taken a hold of his health, but had taken his little girl away from him too.

The Coronavirus stripped away any energy he had. Days and days went by where Richard was very sick; very tired and was drifting in and out of sleep. On the rare times when he was awake, he barely had the energy to move, eat or drink and talking to his daughter was a huge struggle.

Richard said:

“I was one of the lucky ones in some ways. I pulled through and came out the other side. What I won’t forget, what I can’t forget is the internal panic I had that my daughter could lose her Dad, that I might not make it and might not see her again.

On the days when I couldn’t leave my bed, this is all I thought about. It’s a fear that took hold of my every thought, there was no escape.

For the Dad’s and daughters out there, for anyone who has a family or people they care about, I urge you to stay safe and look out for each other. Don’t put yourself at risk, please don’t put others at risk. Wash your hands, wear a mask and keep 2 meters apart. You really don’t want to be where I was just a few months ago. You really don’t”.