A heartbroken family is mourning the loss of three loved ones who all died within five days of each other in a ‘nightmare’ tragedy.
Gladys Lewis, 74, died last Thursday at the Royal Glamorgan Hospital in Ynysmaerdy, south Wales after contracting coronavirus.
Her son Dean, 44, a father-of-three, died at his home in Treorchy the next day.
Tragically Dean’s brother Darren, 42, then died on Monday – with all three deaths confirmed to be COVID-19 related.
Family friend Alison Higgins has now launched a fundraising campaign and raised almost £3,000 for Mrs Lewis’ husband David.
His daughter Debbie, 41, had been forced to come to terms with the loss of her mother and Dean while her brother Darren was in the ICU.
Fundraiser Ms Higgins, from Treorchy, said: ‘As one of Debbie’s friends, there was no question that they needed help, financially and emotionally from our community.
‘This is the stuff of nightmares, it’s incomprehensible whats happened. Knowing how much fundraising the family have done over the years, it was only right we came together for them.
“The community are aware of their charitable ways and that shows in how much help we’re receiving at the moment.
“We’ve got various raffles going on and the GoFundMe page has smashed target and continues to accumulate daily. I just want to get this family as much money as possible to support them with the three funerals and use the rest for whatever they may need.”
Dean’s widow Claire Lewis, 44, said the family is ‘taking some comfort from the hundreds of condolence messages’ they have all received.
She said:Â “As a family, we are extremely grateful to each and every person that has offered us help in any way and are taking some comfort from the hundreds of condolence messages we have all received.
“We are really overwhelmed by the fundraising from what Ali and Jemma are doing with the GoFundMe page.”
Dr David Miller of Forest View Medical Centre, Treorchy, who has been helping the family, said: “This has had a devastating effect on the family and I wish people would take this pandemic seriously.”
