A daughter has spoken of her grief at the death of her "perfectly fit and healthy" dad following a battle with covid.
John Zenke passed away within weeks of contracting the virus, leaving his family heartbroken.
Now Shona Graham will honour his memory in raising money to support the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the hospital that cared for him in his final days, Lanarkshire Live reports.
The 31-year-old explained how John was found unconscious at home and rushed to Hairmyres Hospital in November last year, where he tested positive for covid.
Despite the best efforts of medics, the 61-year-old died on December 6.
Shona explained: "I was always a daddy's girl, we were both best friends, it's been so hard trying to come to terms with it all.
"I got a phone call to say my dad was unconscious and within an hour I was sitting in a hospital being told he could have brain damage so my life changed in a matter of hours.
"He was doing well in the hospital to start with but then he just didn't come out. I felt as though my whole world had just crumbled."
John, remembered as a "true gentleman", was a key worker during the pandemic, delivering food for Morrisons and took extra shifts to provide for people during lockdown.
Six months on, Shona admits it still doesn't feel real living without her dad, and with Father's Day just last Sunday, it's been a particularly difficult time.
"My dad was my best friend," Shona explained. "We did everything together. I'm just lost without him. He was the best guy you'd ever meet.
"He did absolutely everything to make sure I had a happy life. His life evolved around making sure I was. A big part of my life has been lost now."
However, Shona is now turning her attention to giving back to the ICU ward team who were heroic in looking after John and going the extra mile to support Shona and her mum, Lorna Zenke.
Shona added: "There are so many people who have lost their lives to this virus and they didn't need to be taken away from us.
"I couldn't think of any better reason to do it other than for my dad, and I wanted to give something back to the hospital.
"My heart goes out to those nurses, they just don't seem to get enough credit for what they've done.
"The nurses took my dad on like family. After he passed away they handed me a diary of every single day he spent in hospital, every detail, even noted when he was smiling because one of us were on the phone.
"I've still not been able to read that full diary because it breaks my heart but I've got that there and that's the things people don't see.
"The support from the nurses has been amazing, so the fundraising is to thank them."
Shona will complete a sponsored skydive on August 7 at Glenrothes.
Click here to sponsor Shona.
