CORONAVIRUS: Doctors and nurses form a guard of honour for grandfather who fought virus for three weeks in Pilgrim

George Barker, 57, says he would have died but for the care he received while at the hospital, saying he can never repay them for saving his life.

And he was stunned when they applauded him after his recovery, saying he wanted it to have been the other way round.

George became unwell after he had been looking after his wife Amanda and son James who had both been bedbound with suspected coronavirus.

Amanda said George had been taking such good care of her, but noticed he was starting to look unwell.

“George is never ill and as soon as I saw him lose his appetite and fall asleep in the middle of the day I knew something was very wrong.”

Amanda had been calling NHS111, but when she saw her partner of more than 20 years deteriorate further she knew she had to call an ambulance, despite George’s.

Amanda added: “When the ambulance crew arrived everything happened very quickly. I was not even able to give him a kiss and a cuddle to say goodbye. As I was tearful and walking back to the house I just heard George shout ‘I love you’.

“That was the last time I heard his voice for more than three and a half weeks.”

Once he arrived at hospital George was taken into intensive care and put into a medically induced coma.

Amanda, who can see the hospital from the couple’s back garden, got regular updates from the nurses on the unit.

She said: “They were simply amazing. During the calls they kept telling me that they were sorry that I couldn’t be there with him, but assured and promised me they were with him and looking after him.

“I cannot thank them enough for the way they supported me, as well as the care they gave George that saved his life.

“It takes a special person to be a nurse and I believe George’s were simply the best.”

As soon as George came round he was determined to get better and spent hours in the night raising and lowering his legs to get his muscles working again so he could walk the distance he needed to be transferred from intensive care even with his chest drain still in place.

He was able to talk as soon as his tracheostomy was removed and he devoured all of the food around him when seeing if he was able to swallow.

Amanda added: “Once he came round he really did defy all of the odds. There was no stopping him.”

George added: “I thought the nurses were planning something, but I never expected to have a guard of honour as I left intensive care. Seeing them all cheering and clapping was such a surprise. Especially as I wanted to be the one clapping them.”

As his way of saying thank you, George has offered to do odd jobs for the nurses who cared for him through his business Dananglia Roofing.

He added: “I can never repay all of the doctors and nurses for what they did for me, but if ever they need any roofing work – they just need to give me a call and I will be there.”

The couple, who have eight children between them, one grandchild with another two on the way, are looking forward to spending time together as George continues with his recovery.

Amanda added: “I can never say thank you enough, so again thank you to everyone at Pilgrim hospital for getting George back home with me, as my life would have been so worthless without him in it.”