Sheffield man who suffers serious heart problems survives coronavirus

Brent Higgingbottom, 64, from Richmond, was admitted to the Northern General Hospital on 30 March with a “sky high” temperature, breathlessness and a tight chest, his wife of 33 years Kay told The Star.

Brent is diabetic and previously suffered no fewer than four heart attacks. He has also had a quadruple heart bypass operation.

Kay, 55, said: “He couldn’t breathe and he was sweating – it was pouring off him.

“He was in a really bad way, I thought he was going to collapse there and then. I was frightened to death but luckily we made to hospital.”

After Brent tested positive and was given oxygen to help him breathe, a doctor asked him how far he wanted to go with resuscitation if his condition deteriorated.

“It absolutely frighted him to death, he cried on the phone to me for the first time in many years,” Kay said.

“I wasn’t allowed nowhere near him, that was the horrible thing. I’m not religious but I prayed. I didn’t want him to die on his own.”

Brent added: “I was sat there with my mouth wide open thinking I’m going in a few days.”

Fortunately for the couple, who have three children together – a boy and two girls – Brent’s condition improved.

Kay said: “After about three or four days he started having a conversation without gasping for breath.”

Brent, who runs a business fitting alarm systems, added: “I was very grateful, it all really boiled down to getting my breath back. It made a big difference.

“I’m feeling better, every day I’m noticing it and getting better. I still can’t do too much.”

Brent said he may have caught the virus when he and Kay moved into their new home on March 16. The previous tenant, who moved out on the same day, had returned from a wedding in Sicily, Italy, two days previously.

With most of their belongings packed away, he took a drink from the only cup in the house, which had been used earlier that day by the woman who moved out.

Three days later his symptoms began.

“Before he went into hospital I just thought it was a bad flu,” Kay said.

“I’m proud of him for pulling through and fighting it. He’s a million times better. The family were saying he’s been through all of this before and he’s come back stronger.”

She added: “ I thought I was going to lose him. We do everything together. Now I realise how serious coronavirus is, I feel so sorry for all the people who have died.”

In total, Brent has six children and 13 grandchildren from two marriages.

“They can still scrounge off me,” he joked.