A 76-year-old man who received a guard of honour by the doctors and nurses he said ‘saved his life’ says they all deserve a medal.
Frank William Smith, who is known as Billy by his friends and family, spent 81 days in Lincoln County Hospital fighting coronavirus, including 71 days on the intensive care unit.
Billy, a retired RAF Engineer who lives in Lincoln, said: “I am immensely grateful and always will be to the doctors, nurses and everyone who cared for me. I will never be able to thank them enough.
“They are all absolutely brilliant and they all deserve a medal for what they have done during this pandemic, not just for me, but for all of the other patients and families they have supported.
“I have made some amazing friends during my time in hospital. I will never forget the kindness and care I received.”
Billy was placed in a medically induced coma and on a ventilator. His wife Maria phoned the unit every day for updates and knew he was so poorly that she feared he may not survive. Maria was given a knitted woolen heart by the nurses and was told that Billy had a matching one to hold. When the couple were reunited so were the little hearts that had given them so much comfort over the weeks.
Maria added: “I want to thank each and every one of them for getting Billy home to me. There were times that we feared this wouldn’t be possible, but those amazing doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and everyone saved his life and now he is home.
“They gave Billy the treatment that he needed and also supported me too. We will never forget the kindness and care they gave us both. We are so thankful. They are all heroes in our eyes.”