Family's tribute to 'young at heart' north Derbyshire mum, grandma and former pub landlady after coronavirus tragedy

First was the almost unnerving calm of the nurses as they went about their duties, focused on the one coronavirus patient they were caring for at that moment.

While clad in one of the PPE outfits which have become a familiar sight on our televisions this year – clean overalls, oxygen pack, helmet and shoe coverings – Suzanne then noticed her mum’s pristine appearance.

"I saw how clean and styled mum's hair was even though they were not expecting me to visit," Suzanne said.

"Which made me feel that mum must have been so well cared for."

Suzanne and her sister Tanya Beighton say their mum, Barbara Hallam, was an 'outgoing and bubbly' lady who was well-known in her community of Barlborough as a former pub landlady and pharmacist.

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She was 74 and a grandma, but described by her family as 'much younger at heart and in her mind’.

Barbara spent most weekends shopping with her daughters, wine tasting with friends or 'getting glammed up for meals out'.

Despite undergoing a kidney transplant five years ago, she enjoyed a non-stop social life with her partner Alan and was a big part of her daughters’ and grandchildren's lives.

Sadly, it took coronavirus just a few days to shatter the happy retirement her daughters had hoped to see Barbara enjoy.

She passed away at Chesterfield Royal Hospital on October 30, despite wonderful care from medical teams who the family are now raising money for.

Tanya said: "We want to share our story to help people understand that this virus is real.

"Yes mum had underlying health issues because she was on anti rejection drugs for her kidney but she wasn’t poorly with it, and that didn’t take her life.

"Mum had so much life left to live but coronavirus took that away from her and her family."

Barbara worked at Staveley Pharmacy and Calow Royal Hospital Pharmacy, before becoming a well-known landlady at The Apollo and The Royal Oak pubs in Barlborough.

She was enjoying retirement following her last job at Barlborough Pharmacy.

“She hated to be seen as ‘old’ and enjoyed life with a smile on her face,” Tanya said.

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"She loved spending time with her grandchildren, Tayla and Josh, and was a big part of their lives, taking care of them and watching them in whatever activity they were taking part in.

"Mum unfortunately became unwell when she tested positive for coronavirus.

"She seemed to be managing at first but because she was taking anti rejection drugs for the kidney transplant, her immune system couldn’t fight the virus without some medical assistance."

Barbara was admitted to the Royal, where sadly her condition deteriorated after a few days and she ended up on a ventilator in the intensive care unit (ICU).

"From the paramedics through to the ICU staff every single person we dealt with at Chesterfield Royal Hospital was amazing," Tanya said.

“The staff were brilliant at keeping us fully informed and preparing us for all possible complications, outcomes and treatments, while always keeping us hopeful so we could be strong for mum.

“It was the little things such as them asking us how mum would like her hair doing once she was intubated that absolutely meant the world to us, and made sure we didn't have one ounce of doubt that mum wasn't being cared well enough for.”

When Suzanne was allowed onto the ICU on one occasion to see Barbara, she realised just how difficult it must be for staff changing in and out of PPE every time they entered or exited the unit.

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“It took so long, so just nipping for a cup of tea or a breath of fresh air is something a lot of us take for granted but must be so few and far between for the intensive care staff,” Suzanne said.

"It is only looking back now that I realise how much they had to go through just to come to the phone, as it was always mum's personal nurse that came to the phone, or to come out and talk to us, which makes the fact that they told us we could ring as often as we wanted even more meaningful and makes them so wonderful.”

When the time came for Tanya, Suzanne and Alan to be with Barbara at the end, they were once again overwhelmed by the care and professionalism of the Royal’s staff.

"The nurse who stayed with mum until the end was so caring and it was plainly obvious this was much more than just a job for all of them,” Tanya said.

"I can't imagine how emotionally draining and tiring this year has been for them.”

With the current restrictions in place, Barbara’s family weren’t able to give her the send off such a popular and loved lady deserved.

“So instead of flowers, we set up a fundraising page for people to pay tribute to in memory of mum,” Tanya said.

"We weren’t expecting to raise as much as we have but due to the generosity of people we are so pleased to be able to give something back to the staff who gave so much time, effort and care to our mum when she needed it most.”

A spokesperson for the trust which runs the Royal extended his condolences to Barbara’s family and said ‘our thoughts are with them all’.

"Our ITU team offers individual care, compassion and support for the whole family, each and every loss is strongly felt within the team,” he added.

"We would like to thank Tanya and her family for what they are doing in Barbara’s memory, it is incredibly thoughtful, generous and will mean a great deal to everyone on the unit."

To make a donation, visit the JustGiving page at www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/barbara-hallam.

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Nancy Fielder, editor.