A Scots couple who work in the NHS have opened up on their experiences with coronavirus and the fear of what it could mean for their young son.
Lisa Bruce, 31, and her husband Gordon, 41, known as Bruce, are ambulance technicians living in Lanark with their 10-month-old, KJ.
But just before UK-wide restrictions came into effect, Bruce started showing tell-tale signs of the virus.
Lisa said: “Bruce got symptoms the day before lockdown so we had to self-isolate.”
But KJ was her major concern.
She said: “I’m still breastfeeding. The clinic said I should keep doing it because that’s one of the best things in terms of building up immunity for him.
“Bruce has had recurring symptoms.
“My biggest worry was the baby. If anything happens to me what would happen to him?
“I had it written down that if I went into intensive care they should do everything they can to take milk from me. Because KJ has allergies, my milk is his main source of nutrition because he can’t take normal formula.
“I was exhausted all the time but Bruce got it worse. He was struggling to breathe a couple of times. We even got an ambulance for him.
“There was one time where I thought I was going to lose him. He managed to sort of recover before the ambulance got there.
“His lips had gone blue and he was shaking. Because I’ve seen patients like that it was even more scary.
“The first time he collapsed he had gone to pick KJ up. I just heard a bang and ran to see. I saw the baby crawling away and Bruce there, dazed, and just not himself. It took about 15 minutes to get him back on his feet.
“The second time he collapsed we were walking to the postbox. He got a little way then he said he had to go home. As I followed him I just saw him collapse.
“Despite all the risks, I can’t wait to get back out there. I’ll take all the precautions I can to keep my family safe but I want to be helping my colleagues fight this virus.”
