Stacey’s #BehindTheMask experience is emotional, read it here

Stacey is proud to be a hard working mum of 2. Life before lockdown was busy and hectic as it is for most Mums.

Stacey has asthma which is managed well with a reliever inhaler, other than that she exercised regularly and felt fit. Stacey was not considered high risk and didn’t have to shield but she took precautions, only going out when necessary.

One Friday night, Stacey started to cough and her chest felt tight. This was the start of her Coronavirus nightmare. By Saturday morning she couldn’t breathe and felt like she was having an asthma attack. She called for medical advice and was told to make her way to the hospital, alone. Following their instructions, Stacey was taken into the ward, alone, with no support from her family, no-one to reassure her that everything would be ok.

Whilst at the hospital she was told she had contracted pneumonia because of the virus. The staff at the hospital were so calm and reassuring, trying to put her at ease but inwardly Stacey was terrified. As a Mum to her 2 children and as a wife to her wonderful husband, she was so scared that perhaps she may never make it home to see them again.

Stacey Said:

“It was beyond hard in the beginning when I got the virus; believe me struggling for every breath is exhausting, it’s frightening.

Months after my diagnosis, I am still not very well. I still have days where I have fatigue and I can’t breathe, days where I have ‘brain fog’ making it difficult to remember even the most simplest of things. Some people don’t realise how serious this virus is, and how badly it can affect people. Thankfully I survived, but not everybody will.

Please, follow the guidelines as much as you can, take precautions, keep safe and look after each other. It was an extremely traumatic time in my life and I wouldn’t want anyone to experience what I’ve experienced. Please do what you can to keep yourself and others safe”