A CHIRK woman is selling wooden craft items to raise money for the intensive care unit at Royal Blackburn Hospital after they helped her brother-in-law beat COVID-19.

Amanda Hartley is selling the crafts, made by her husband, as part of a family-wide fundraising effort after NHS staff at the Lancashire-based hospital looked after her family member Dale Richardson, for more than a month.

Dale was taken to hospital initially to have gallstones removed, before he contracted the virus and spent 37 days in a coma.

He was brought out of the coma last week and has taken his first steps to full recovery after beating the virus.

Amanda and other family members now want to raise as much money as possible for the hospital which worked hard to look after her brother-in-law.

She said:"First of all he was taken into hospital with gallstones to get them removed, but he ended up quite poorly because of it.

"He was sent to Blackburn to get treatment he needed for it, and they saved his life before he even got the COVID-19 virus.

"But he had actually picked the virus up when he was at another hospital, and he spent 37 days in a coma because of it.

"The hospital staff worked wonders – they did say there was a chance he wouldn't pull through because he was very poorly.

"They eventually managed to pull him out of the coma and he's taken his first steps last week and recovered from the virus, so the whole family are doing their bit to raise money for the ICU now."

Dale is now undergoing rehabilitation treatment, while the family, including Amanda's dad who has been selling hanging baskets, have started fundraising already.

Amanda was full of praise for the hospital staff who looked after Dale.

"They've done an amazing job," she said. "It is one amazing hospital – they did everything they possibly could and we really can not fault them at all.

"He had the same few nurses looking after him from the day he arrived so he hasn't had to constantly swap and change.

"It's been so difficult but it's a massive relief. My sister is now looking to set up a charity afternoon to raise more money for them once this is all over."

If anyone would like to buy any crafts from Amanda, email amandahartley0110@yahoo.co.uk