One widow, whose husband was a Mariner, begs people to cover their faces and get jabbed.
Ali Swinburne stated that the mask cost was nothing when compared to having to be forced onto a ventilator.
Following 21 years of marriage Mark, a 54-year-old man from South Shields and Tyne and Wear, died in April.
The wife shared the tragic story of her husband who died only 19 days after he contracted Covid. He had no other health issues and was not a smoker.
Swinburne stated that she was speaking out in order to make people more aware of the hardships faced by so many families during the pandemic.
She claimed that she didn’t wish to experience the same pain as her worst enemy.
Ali Swinburne, right) said that the price of wearing a mask is a fraction of having to be forced onto a ventilator. After 21 years of marriage, Mark, a 54-year old from South Shields and Tyne and Wear died in April.
She related how her husband died in 19 days, despite having no health problems.
Chronicle spoke with the mother who had a matured son from a past relationship. “I beg for a vaccine. We must do everything we can to prevent the spread of this disease.
“Please, please wear a face mask, even if you are not exempt. It is much better to wear a mask than being forced into ventilation.
Mr Swinburne was a former Marine who completed tours of the Falklands and Northern Ireland and was ‘loved by everyone he met’, his wife said.
She said that he seemed ‘full’ of life and light, but that he still was struck by the fatal virus after just a few days.
He just received his coronavirus vaccine for the first time, and it was only March 7th that the over-55s were able to get it.
The ‘horrendous’ ordeal started when he was sent for a compulsory Covid test by bosses at Newcastle College.
However, although he was furious to have had his test positive, within just a few days, he began complaining of chest pains and breathlessness.
Pictured: Mr Swinburne was an ex-Marine who served tours in the Falklands, Northern Ireland, and was loved by all of his friends.
Mrs Swinburne said: ‘I tried to get him out of bed one morning, and he said ”I can’t, I feel terrible”. He tried to drag himself down the stairs but it was obvious that he didn’t feel right.
According to her, she called an ambulance. A paramedic discovered that his blood oxygen levels had dropped to 51% when they should be higher than 95%.
Her husband was put on a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) ventilation when he got to hospital before being moved to intensive care.
Mrs Swinburne said: ‘The staff at South Tyneside hospital were amazing, the sister on the ICU ward said I could ring anytime of the day or night if I wanted an update.
“Mark said that he had been very afraid and that he wanted to return home.
She was unable to leave her home due to the virus, and she became more worried about her husband’s health.
She stated, “I was alone at home and felt helpless.” “It was terrible.
There was hope when Mr Swinburne was released from intensive car after 11 days and his physio was pleased with his progress.
After a collapsed lung, the ex-soldier was then readmitted back to the ICU.
His wife said: ‘He had to have a chest drain, which he said was unbelievably painful, and then his right lung collapsed.
Following a collapsed left lung, the ex-soldier was readmitted to intensive care unit.
“The consultant called me to tell me they thought of ventilating him. I then spoke with Mark and he apologized.
“He apologized for making you go through such a difficult time.” This shows how kind and caring he is. It was difficult to try my best for him.
Mr Swinburne was sedated and Mrs Swinburne and her mother were called to the ICU to spend some time with him.
She explained that Mark was a good friend and she had spent some time speaking with him. Due to his heavy sedate state, he would not have known that I was present.
According to the consultant, they had decided not to resuscitate him as they believed he would go into cardiac arrest soon.
The family refused to grant him the order and decided to give him the ‘fighting chance.
The doctors assured him that they wouldn’t give up, and he later went to theatre to attempt to remove his lungs.
They also tried to move him to a hospital in Leicester which had a machine for Covid patients to reoxygenate their blood – but he was too ill to travel.
But by April 13 the family no longer had a choice over the DNR, with Mr Swinburne contracting sepsis.
That evening, they went to hospital with their mother and seen him in pairs. He died shortly thereafter. Mrs Swinburne and her mother were by his side.
The widow said hospital staff were ‘absolutely amazing’ and going ‘above and beyond’ in those tragic hours after his death.
He was able to be seen again after they removed the tubes.
“They took his hair and laminated his hands prints. I could see they were distraught too.
Mr Swinburne’s death saw a huge influx of tributes from family, friends and former Marine colleagues.
His wife added: ‘His fellow servicemen always said he had a brilliant sense of humour and could hold any room.
For his funeral, ‘Ladies he served with in Marines came all across the country.
They arranged for a flag-bearer, the Last Post to play and a guard honor to watch over him as he was being taken to the crematorium.
“This showed me how much he loved me,”