A brave 'fit and healthy' care home worker has gone blind after contracting coronavirus.
Mum-of-three Sarah Smith, from Easterside in Middlesbrough, woke from a coma to discover she had lost her eyesight during her nine-week fight with the killer bug.
Her daughter Rebecca Smith, 29, was able to briefly see her mum on Tuesday - for the first time in seven-weeks - and has gone public about her mum's battle to show how "the damage from coronavirus looks different for everyone", Teeside Live reports.
Sharing her family's devastating battle, the mum-of-two said Sarah began self-isolating on April 2 and was rushed to hospital two weeks later.
The previously fit and healthy 53-year-old was taken to the high dependency unit at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough, where she was using a CPAP machine and a hood ventilator to breathe.
However on April 22 she had to be moved to intensive care and her condition worsened so she was placed into a coma and on a ventilator.
Rebecca said: "Things got worse and she was placed into a coma and on a ventilator as her lungs were really bad.
"She then developed a secondary bacterial infection in her lungs. Coronavirus affects the body in so many ways.
"On the 6th May she started having seizures which left swelling on her brain.
"Doctors are hoping the PRES syndrome brain swelling she has will resolve and she will regain her sight but there’s a chance the damage will have been done and it won’t.
"There’s also the chance she had a stroke during her seizures and that has caused the vision loss.
"She has memory problems, still suffers from delirium, confusion and hallucinations. But there are brief moments of clarity."
Sarah, who has worked at The Gables Care Home in Middlesbrough for 18 years, was awoken from her coma on May 14.
But doctors are unsure when the nana-of-three actually lost her sight.
Rebecca said her mum's sight problems are to do with her brain as she's had scans on her eyes and she has a long journey ahead.
She added her mum will need to see a neurologist for treatment and the hospital is having to adapt constantly to meet the individual needs around coronavirus restrictions.
Rebecca said: "The hospital is split into two sides - covid-19 and non-covid - but there isn't services across the board. She needs to be admitted onto the neurology ward for rehab.
"Mum needs to see a neurologist and will need rehabilitation to be able to learn to walk again. She's also got memory problems and sight problems.
"My mum is now testing negative for coronavirus so the policy needs to adapt."
Sarah - mum to Jessica, Paul and Rebecca - was moved out of ICU on Wednesday, but Jessica says "it was a struggle to find a suitable ward for mum".
Rebecca captured the moment she was briefly reunited with her mum on Tuesday.
Accompanied by a picture of her mum in a hospital bed, on the grounds of the hospital, she said: "Here she is the absolute hero!
"She agreed to this photo and had just said, when the nurse asked if she wanted sun or shade, 'oh yeah give me the sun baby!'
"This was her first taste of fresh air since she went in seven-weeks-ago, so was just a one off for 10 minutes.
"She’s lost a lot of weight and has definitely looked better but I still think she’s beautiful and this picture (which she agreed to) shows her strength."
Speaking about the affects of coronavirus, she added: "Seeing people out and about today and pulling faces at me in my mask in Aldi afterwards I wish they could see the true extent of covid.
"That it isn’t just a case of a bad flu as people are still saying widely.
"The damage looks different for everyone and what it’s done to my mum will change her life even in the best case scenario.
"But she will still have a good life, I’m sure."
Rebecca has also praised the NHS staff at the Middlesbrough hospital for saving her mum's life.
She added: "I'm so extremely grateful to staff across all roles for everything they've done and saving my her life."
A fundraising page has been set up to help Sarah in her recovery against covid-19.
Donations can be made, here.
