Coronavirus: Leigh Park family raise money for ventilator at Queen Alexandra Hospital as grandfather fights for life

FOR nearly two weeks a soon-to-be grandfather-of-five has been on a ventilator battling against coronavirus – now his family are raising money for another ventilator to help someone else.
By Millie Salkeld
Published 24th Apr 2020, 16:56 BST
Updated 26th Apr 2020, 15:46 BST
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Dockyard worker Paul Stone from Leigh Park has been in Queen Alexandra Hospital for the last couple of weeks after testing positive for Covid-19.

The 50-year-old’s family haven’t been able to see him due to visiting restrictions but staff have been providing updates to them including his daughter Shanice.

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The 27-year-old told The News: ‘The staff at QA are absolutely amazing and they are doing everything they can for him. It is scary especially as we can’t see him but they are being angels.

Leigh Park family doing raffles, pen portraits to raise money for a ventilator at QA. Pictured is: Blake Stone, Paul Stone and Ben Stone.Leigh Park family doing raffles, pen portraits to raise money for a ventilator at QA. Pictured is: Blake Stone, Paul Stone and Ben Stone.
Leigh Park family doing raffles, pen portraits to raise money for a ventilator at QA. Pictured is: Blake Stone, Paul Stone and Ben Stone.

‘He has made a few positive steps but we are just waiting to see how he will recover.’

Feeling helpless and wanting to repay the staff, the family decided to raise money for another ventilator at the Cosham hospital and have been doing raffles, baking cakes and Shanice is putting her fine art degree to use with special pencil portrait.

The mother-of-one said: ‘We wanted to do something to show how grateful we are to the staff who are doing amazing work for our dad and everyone else who needs their help.

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‘We are trying to raise £5,000 to help pay for another ventilator to help save someone else’s life and it has also helped us not to feel so helpless.

Leigh Park family doing raffles, pen portraits to raise money for a ventilator at QA. Pictured is: Pencil drawings by Shanice Stone that she is selling for donations to their Just Giving page. Leigh Park family doing raffles, pen portraits to raise money for a ventilator at QA. Pictured is: Pencil drawings by Shanice Stone that she is selling for donations to their Just Giving page.
Leigh Park family doing raffles, pen portraits to raise money for a ventilator at QA. Pictured is: Pencil drawings by Shanice Stone that she is selling for donations to their Just Giving page.

‘With all the fundraising it is something else to focus on which I think is so important for the whole family at at time like this.’

The number of people who have died of coronavirus at QA Hospital has reached 178, according to the latest NHS England figures.

It comes as cases in the Portsmouth City Council area stand at 260 as of Thursday, April 23.

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The number of cases for Hampshire County Council is 2,519 – although this cannot be broken down further into individual areas.

Leigh Park family doing raffles, pen portraits to raise money for a ventilator at QA. Pictured is: Pencil drawings by Shanice Stone that she is selling for donations to their Just Giving page.Leigh Park family doing raffles, pen portraits to raise money for a ventilator at QA. Pictured is: Pencil drawings by Shanice Stone that she is selling for donations to their Just Giving page.
Leigh Park family doing raffles, pen portraits to raise money for a ventilator at QA. Pictured is: Pencil drawings by Shanice Stone that she is selling for donations to their Just Giving page.

But 99-year-old Carrie Pollock from Hayling Island is among those who have recovered from the virus.

She told The News: ‘I am so grateful to the hospital staff. They were so kind and now I am doing very well.’

To donate to the Stone family fundraiser visit justgiving.com/crowdfunding/shanice-stone

Related topics:Covid-19Portsmouth City Council

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