Coronavirus nurse raises thousands to buy iPads for patients on wards across Lancashire

Leona Harris has been working gruelling 13-hour days in a Covid-19 hospital ward where she has been treating poorly patients in a bid to beat the killer virus.

But after witnessing heartbreaking scenes with some patients unable to speak with friends and family on the sealed off wards and people passing away without any contact she decided she had to act.

She posted an appeal on social media and was inundated with offers of help and pleas from other desperate Covid nurses to get hold of an iPad for their wards.

Leona joined forces with the staff of Lancaster based Simpson Millar Solicitors to launch the #staytogether campaign and in less than a week she raised £30k and bought 70 iPads (£27,500 private donations and £2,500 online).

She has since raised a total of £28,000 online on a JustGiving page and will be using the extra monies to buy more iPads.

After initially helping only her hospital the scheme proved so successful she is now helping hospital wards across the county and further afield and has helped hundreds of patients to stay in touch with loved ones.

iPads have already been delivered to the specialist Lancaster-based Orchard hospital - which treats patients with mental health issues and disabilities - and they arranging for delivery of two more iPads to the Royal Lancaster Infirmary next week.

Leona is getting iPads delivered direct to staff and nurses to get the iPads on wards as quickly as possible.

In some tragic cases the video call will allow patients to say goodbye for the last time.

The campaign is being backed by Casualty star Amanda Mealing who plays emergency medicine hospital consultant Connie Beauchamp in the hit BBC1 show after her friends dad died of the virus.

As Leona has been busy helping Covid-19 patients at Fairfield Hospital in Bury, staff of Simpson Millar solicitors have been busy raising money and organising deliveries of the iPads to hospital wards desperate to help patients keep in touch with friends and family.

Staff at the law firm have completed dozens of isolation based activities to raise money to buy the iPads including sponsored hair cuts and garden marathons.

Her husband Nick Harris, who works with the law firm Simpson Millar, added: "We are very humbled to be involved in this. The staff at the firm have been brilliant as they have all come together to support this cause raising money.

"It’s so important to help patients and their families have that time together. I hope this can make a real difference and bring comfort to those in need."

Anyone who wants to donate can go online here