Watch as Polegate man with coronavirus leaves intensive care after 53 days

Steve Honeyball left the critical care unit at Eastbourne DGH last week, East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust said.

He was greeted with applause from hospital staff and his family – and thanked health workers who ‘kept him alive’.

He said: “I can’t express my thanks enough to the amazing doctors, nurses and physiotherapists who kept me alive with their skill and dedication.

“They showed me such love and care in my recovery and gave me the determination to get better.

“I look forward to meeting the faces behind the masks one day to thank them personally.”

Steve’s spell in intensive care was the longest of any patient in East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust recovering from Covid-19.

Speaking on behalf of his family, Will, Ben and Charlie and the dog, his wife, Mandy, said: “It was so wonderful and emotional to be part of Steve’s journey out of critical care.

“To be there and see him after seven weeks was a very special moment made possible by the skill, dedication, care and most of all love of everyone in critical care.

“They were there with him in his darkest hours when we could not be with him.”

She referred back to the ‘awful’ first couple of weeks when Steve caught the virus, but she said the family never gave up hope.

“We know how strong he is and they never gave up and kept him fighting,” she commented.

“In some strange way we were saved from the anguish of seeing him so terribly ill although it broke our hearts not to be there with him.

“They not only saved Steve they saved our family, my husband of 40 years, a doting dad to his beloved twin sons and our dog Charlie, a Brother, Uncle and son-in-law and much loved by everyone in the whole family and friends near and far.”

Mandy said after coming into the hospital, it was exactly one month later, to the day, they next saw Steve on Facetime, just opening his eyes and wiggling his toes and fingers.

She praised the amazing care from everyone – who ‘became his family during his epic fight’.

“We know he has a long road to recovery, there is no time limit,” said Mandy, adding: “We are just so eternally grateful that we will have him home soon to continue that journey. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts, with our love.”

Critical Care Unit Sister Holly Andrews added: “We are all so happy for Mr Honeyball and his family. As someone that was with us for a long time on critical care, his determination and humour as he was recovering made a difference to all our staff and we wish him all the best with his further recovery.”

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