This is the amazing moment an 84-year-old granddad with existing heart and lung problems was wheeled out of hospital after beating coronavirus.
Frank Beaden, who used to work as a printer for the Manchester Evening News , was admitted to hospital on Easter Monday with breathing difficulties.
He was diagnosed with fluid on the heart and lungs two years ago, and takes regular medication for a range of health problems.
Frank initially tested negative for COVID-19 and spent two weeks in hospital, where his condition was starting to improve.
But on, April 27, his family received the devastating call to say that Frank had tested positive for the virus , and had developed pneumonia.
Despite all odds, Frank made a miraculous recovery and by May 12, he was discharged to a local rehabilitation hospital, having overcome the worst of the virus.
Footage filmed by staff at Macclesfield Hospital documents the incredible moment Frank was discharged from the COVID-ward.
"For someone like my granddad, the news that he had coronavirus was like a death sentence," Frank's granddaughter, Alice Beaden said.
"He had been struggling with his breathing for about two years and takes all kinds of medication.
"Every day you hear on the news about people like my granddad and how they don't recover from it. We were just devastated."
Alice said Frank's beloved wife Gail, along with their three children and eight grandchildren, were determined to stay positive for him.
"We knew his mind would have to be in a good place for him to get better, so we tried to keep things as positive as possible, Alice said.
"We told him he was going to get better and never once gave him the impression that he wasn't going to come home.
"The staff at Macclesfield Hospital are heroes. They got my granddad an iPad so we could Facetime him and there was a website where you could submit letters and pictures for them to look at.
"We sent him stuff every day to make sure his mind was keeping active."
Frank was placed on to oxygen and at one point his family received an update to say he had developed pneumonia, and that the outlook wasn't good.
But by some miracle, his condition began to improve and five days later, Frank had a blood test which confirmed he had pulled through the worst of the virus.
He has now been moved to a rehabilitation hospital where nurses are helping him learn to walk again, after spending nearly a month bed-bound.
"My grandparents have been married for 60 years and this is the longest they have ever been apart from each other," Alice said.
"My grandma isn't very independent so we were worried she would be really scared without him but she's been an absolute trooper.
"She got told off because she was ringing the hospital ward too many times."
Alice says she credits the doctors and nurses at Macclesfield for the amazing recovery made by her granddad.
"I know everyone says this but they were just incredible - without them my granddad wouldn't be here now," she added.
“When I got the video of him being released from hospital I was crying completely different kind of tears.
"The whole family thinks he is an absolute hero. When lockdown is finally over we will throw him a massive coming home party."
