Rory Kinnear has paid an emotional tribute to his sister, who died of coronavirus at the age of just 48.
Karina Kinnear contracted the deadly Covid-19 earlier this month and, because of her disabilities, was considered particularly high-risk.
She was quickly hospitalised with stomach, lung and kidney problems, but before long the virus spread through her body.
Her devastated family could do nothing but wait for news, as they were banned from seeing her in hospital.
Karina succumbed to the coronavirus days later, and her family were forced to say goodbye over FaceTime.
Speaking on Radio 4's Today programme on Thursday morning, Rory read from the eulogy he'd penned for the Guardian when he'd confirmed Karina's tragic death.
"A nurse, Patricia, held up Karina's iPad while my mum, via FaceTime on her mobile, narrated a favourite story of hers for the last time and thanked her for the happiness she had brought us all," Rory recalled.
"Mum then held up her home phone to her mobile, where my other sister, Kirsty, at hers, was able to say how much she loved her and would miss her. And then Kirsty held up her husband's phone to hers where I, on loudspeaker, from my house, played Karina one of her favourite songs and told her how proud I was to have been her brother and what gratitude I felt for what she had taught me about life."
Karina was unable to speak due to the severe brain damage she sustained at birth, and was paralysed from the age of 19 after an operation on her spine, but was "ebullient, brave and wry, with a passion for noise, laughter, family and chaos and an EastEnders theme tune", said Rory.
Ending his moving tribute to Karina, Rory couldn't hold back his emotion as he read aloud: "Those that engaged with her, knew her, loved her, were rewarded beyond their imagination by her friendship, humour and trust.
"They grew to learn, inexorably and unalterably, that our spirits exist far more tangibly than our abilities.
"What a lesson. What an inspiration," he added through choked sobs.
His moving tribute came after yesterday's official UK death figures stood at 37,460 in all settings.
