Teresa’s Story

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After sadly losing her father to Coronavirus, Teresa Narduzzo and her family have paid tribute to the ‘angels’ who cared for him, and pledged their support for our #staytogether fundraising campaign.

Father of three Bob Narduzzo was admitted to Luton and Dunstable District Hospital after he suffered a fall. At the time, he also had a bad cough. He was tested and diagnosed positive for Covid-19 four days later. At first, doctors thought he would survive, but his condition unfortunately deteriorated over the following weeks.

Sadly, he passed away, leaving behind his devastated daughter Teresa, and his sons Michael and Vince.

For families like Teresa’s, face-to-face contact with loved ones is precious and invaluable during such a difficult time. As they were unable to visit their father in hospital for the three excruciating weeks he was in there, the family have spoken of their ‘eternal gratitude’ to the staff that cared for him, and to those that managed to use his mobile for a Facetime call with him and his children, so that they could all see and speak to each other one last time before he passed away.

Teresa told us, “After 3 weeks battling the virus and no means of communication with him, we were told we were losing him. A quick-thinking Occupational Therapist, Claire Wright, at the Luton and Dunstable District Hospital, unable to find a hospital computer tablet, used my Dad’s mobile to connect us children with our Dad just before he passed away.

My family and I spent 5 precious minutes talking with Dad and being able to see each other... he kissed the phone.

It has given us a beautiful, unforgettable moment at an otherwise overwhelmingly sad and isolated time. We’d almost given up hope of seeing or speaking to him again and we can’t thank Claire enough and all the angels who looked after my father.

We want to get the message out so that having available iPads or tablets in hospitals and care homes, connecting families this way, becomes common practice during this time.”

This is a picture of Vince Narduzzo, Teresa Narduzzo and their Dad, Bob Narduzzo.

Friend of the family, Amanda Mealing, who plays Connie Beauchamp in Casualty has got behind the #staytogether campaign.

She said “Sadly, my friends' father, Bob Narduzzo, died in hospital recently of Coronavirus. With no ipads or tablets available, it was only through the quick thinking of his Occupational Therapist, using his mobile phone to connect him via Facetime with his children, that they had the chance to say their goodbyes before Bob passed away. It doesn’t lessen the pain of losing a loved one but this compassionate and thoughtful action brought much comfort to the family and to their Father in his last hours. 

Hospitals are running at capacity and, even at the best of times, technology is rarely available to patients and with the necessity of isolation, tablets and electronic communications are the only way family can stay in touch with loved ones. 

I, along with the Narduzzo family, have teamed up with Simpson Millar’s campaign…we want to ensure that any family, with a loved one hospitalised with the virus, can stay connected through an electronic device. In these uncertain and often anxious times, seeing loved ones, even remotely, can bring enormous comfort.  By making tablets available to all covid19 positive patients in hospitals you will be making an invaluable difference."

Amanda Mealing - Image credit ©Tenee Attoh for Mixedracefaces.

#staytogether was launched to raise money to buy enough iPads for hospitals so family and friends can keep in contact with their loved ones in Covid-19 wards. The iPads we purchase will be donated to hospitals near our 11 offices that have been selected by our colleagues.

Because Teresa reached out to us and is actively supporting the campaign, we’ve donated an iPad to Luton and Dunstable District Hospital, where her father was cared for. 

We received donations of £30,000 in just one week and the first 70 iPads have been purchased.

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