Man 'Damaged Beyond Repair' Over Mother's Death During Covid
A man whose mother passed away during the Covid-19 pandemic has told the UK Covid-19 Inquiry that he and other relatives who lost loved ones are "damaged beyond repair."
Glenn Grundle expressed that his sense of loss remains profound, stating he now goes to bed each night indifferent to whether he wakes up the next morning.
He has been providing testimony during the inquiry's final scheduled week of public hearings, which is investigating the pandemic's societal impact.
Representing the Northern Ireland Covid Bereaved Families for Justice, Grundle emphasized that being unable to be with close family members during their final hours and days "tears us apart."
Milda Grundle was 73 years old when she died in April 2020.
"We are all damaged, and damaged beyond repair," the Coleraine man said.
"This is about impact, and probably the greatest demonstration I can give of that impact is that I go to bed every night and I don't sleep very well, but when I do, I really don't care if I wake up in the morning."
"That is the impact of what has happened - of how we have been damaged. That is the mental impact of that, and that also goes into the physical side of things because we are suffering with physical health issues as well.
"Many of us, and I include myself in this, because of our experience with hospitals we don't want to see healthcare professionals.
"We put things off because of how we were treated in the aftermath of our loved ones' deaths - we don't want to deal with them."
'She Was Alone'
Grundle reported that members of his group were given information by healthcare staff that "were not true."
He also recounted that a nurse attempted to persuade him to have his mother's body cremated, which he stated was "not in a nurse's remit."
When his mother was admitted to hospital in April 2020, she was "immediately put under pressure to agree to a DNR (Do Not Resuscitate) CPR."
"No-one was allowed to go with her... she was alone, very ill, vulnerable and she was really scared about the DNR CPR," Grundle said.
He challenged a hospital consultant regarding the DNR decision for his mother, stating:
"He told me that in his opinion, my mum should have a DNR CPR because she - in his opinion again - she had no quality of life as she used a hoist and had carers.
This is a definition that fits so many disabled people. I was absolutely shocked."
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story, information and support can be found at the BBC's Action Line.
