CARL MITCHELL’S daughter Lucy had just finished two and a half years of cancer treatment before the nation went into lockdown last year.
Then he had to support his wife Susannah, who was struggling with depression. But he never moaned.
Instead he got up at 5am daily to work as a supermarket distribution manager, and when he got home at 6pm he would make dinner and help with the household chores.
He assisted with home-schooling and lifted the family’s spirits with games of football in the garden.
He even delivered food to his mum, kept the local Abbots Youth football club motivated and raised £3,000 for the hospital which helped Lucy, now eight, fight leukaemia.
And that is why today we have crowned Carl, 42, the winner of Trending In The News on Sunday’s great Lockdown Hero Dad competition.
Susannah, 40, who was furloughed from her job as an administrator at a local school, said: “He is a man in a million. All the time that Lucy was ill I kept it together and looked after her, but once her treatment finished I became depressed. I’ve since learned this is quite normal, but it was very hard at the time. Carl was amazing.
“Throughout lockdown I was terrified she would relapse and the thought of having to take her to hospital during the pandemic was very frightening. It was an awful time for me, but Carl was so amazing and never made me feel guilty for not being able to do much at all.”
Carl, from Abbots Langley, Herts, is also a father to Liam, 21, Callum, 19, and Charlie, 11. He wins our prize of a Madison garden room, courtesy of Nordic Garden Buildings, worth £11,000.
Susannah said: “The garden room will be lovely for Carl. He’s a wonderful man. He can use it to watch the football and enjoy the peace!”
Last night Carl said: “I’ve never thought of myself as a hero. This is just a brilliant Father’s Day surprise. I am really happy – and obviously grateful to my wife for entering.”
Justin Williams, director of Nordic Garden Buildings, said: “Carl is such a deserving winner after the toughest of lockdowns. We can’t wait to deliver his very own man cave.”
