Husband and wife leave Eastbourne critical care together after covid-19 stay

Clarence and Stella Diribe were clapped and cheered by hospital staff at Eastbourne DGH and saw their two sons, Obi and Onyi, for the first time in weeks.

Stella had spent 23 days in critical care and Clarence 26. They were cared for separately to begin with, and later connected via iPad tablets before finally being brought together as they recovered.

The pair said in a statement, “We would like to say a massive thank you to staff on critical care. Words cannot express our gratitude, they were all amazing.

“They made sure we both stayed connect with each other, as much as was possible and kept us in touch with our sons.

“It was an overwhelming experience to be clapped and cheered by hospital staff but best of all we got to see our sons. Thank you to everyone at the hospital.”

Clarence and Stella’s son Ori said,“We just want to say a massive thank you to all the staff here at the hospital that helped our parents pull through, it’s been a very trying few weeks.

“I don’t think any of us have felt this sort of thing before, we have always known our parents to be fighters but this was just something else so we appreciate effort from everyone here.

“Mum has been a nurse since before we were born so and she said to me she never thought anything could happen to her that would knock her as much as this has so we are just relived that she’s pulled through.”

Critical care senior sister Stacey Sharman said the pair recovery was a better outcome than any of the team dared to hope for.

She said, “They both fought the odds, which were definitely stacked against them, and we are all so happy for them and their sons that they have been discharged and are on the road to recovery.

“We wish them all the best in the future.”

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