CHILDREN In Need viewers broke down in tears this evening as they watched the tragic story of a loving dad who passed away from coronavirus last year.
Tim’s brave son Sam, 12, spoke out in the video, as well as his mum who wept as she recalled the moment a nurse told her to call her children so that they can say goodbye.
Sam shared: “In March 2020, dad started to be a bit ill so mum called the ambulance.”
His mum remembered saying “see you later” as he was taken to the hospital, but just days later he tested positive for Covid – and due to lockdown rules, none of the children were able to see him again.
Sam’s mum said “every day was just torture” after he was put on a ventilator, with Sam adding: “Multiple times doctors said: ‘We don’t think he’s going to make it’, and every time he did make it… Until April 15th.
“We’d all been outside, it’d been a nice day and I didn’t notice the phone until I went in and saw my mum shaking, I just knew something bad was up.”
Sadly, Tim had suffered an internal bleed and doctors couldn’t do anything more for him.
Choking up, Sam’s mum recalled: “I just sat and held his hand, and the nurse said: ‘Would you like to phone the children so they can say bye to their dad'”.
Sam remembered being “really upset and angry” after his dad’s passing, but the family managed to get through the darkness with the help of a bereavement charity.
The tragic story resonated all too well with heartbroken viewers watching at home, who took to Twitter to share their reaction.
One sobbed: “Crying, how awful – what a strong women their mum is.”
Another echoed: “No child should ever have to say goodbye to a parent forever 
The way Sam spoke, showed maturity.
“What a brave young boy, supporting his family! Honestly, this breaks my heart!”
A third tweeted: “I don’t care what anyone says, the last 20 months have been horrifically tragic for thousands of families. Lives have been lost that didn’t need to go, the whole thing is just so sad and it’s heartbreaking.”
A fourth: “That little boy talking about losing his Dad is heartbreaking. What a brave, articulate and lovely boy. A credit to his parents.”
One more passionately shared: “F***king heartbreaking. RIP Tim. F**K COVID!!!”
