'What happened to my father has left a lasting scar'

Alicia is from Hertfordshire in England. This is her story. 

Last March, my dad was a happy ninety three-year-old living at home with family help and outside care. Although he suffered with a degree of dementia, he still knew and recognised us. He was happy and engaging. He still enjoyed eating and overall had a good quality of life.

That all changed on March 21st when lockdown started. The family were forbidden to see him. We could no longer take him out for his favourite car journeys and treat him to fish & chips while he happily reminisced about his life.

As a result of being isolated from the family, he stopped sleeping properly and kept asking his carer where his family had gone. He went from regular contact with his loved ones to being isolated at home with a carer. 

A couple of months later my father's health started to deteriorate. On May 13th, a doctor told me he had less than three days to live. We feel the distress of being separated from his family led to him simply giving up. 

After seven weeks apart, I decided I was going to see him in his final days regardless of the rules. He was semi-conscious and on the verge of death. I was lucky that I got to be with him at the end as I talked to him and held his hand while he sat in his favourite chair. 

Because of lockdown restrictions his funeral was limited to seven people. Not a very fitting tribute to a popular and wonderful man who lived for ninety three years.

I can never get over or forgive myself for not breaking the rules sooner to see more of my lovely dad during his final weeks. It may even have helped prolong his life. Suffice to say, I will no longer abide by lockdown rules when it comes to my loved ones. What happened to my father has left a lasting scar.   

In the aftermath of my father's death, the GP initially insisted on writing Covid on the death cert. However, not only had my father not been tested for Covid, he also never had any symptoms. After pressure from our family, the GP relented and Covid never went on the death cert. However, this has made me very suspicious of the official statistics on Covid deaths. 

* Alicia's story highlights not only the unnecessary suffering caused by lockdowns, but also the dubious recording methods of deaths attributed to Covid 19. Attention has been drawn to the unreliability of Covid death statistics by many people, including the pathologist Dr. John Lee in a piece he wrote here for the Spectator back in late May. 

Andrew Devine. Editor.  

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