South Shields NHS worker pens heartwarming poem after 84-hour week caring for patients in ICU

Linda Lowe, 53, of the Lawe Top, South Shields, wrote the beautiful verse on Monday, April 13 after a gruelling week in the intensive care unit (ICU) at South Tyneside District Hospital.

The grandmother-of-three, an operating department practitioner (ODP), was recently moved to the ICU to support her colleagues caring for patients with Covid-19.

In the poem Linda wrote about putting on “armour” to care for her patients “as if they were my own”.

After she shared the poem on her Facebook page, Linda’s partner, Michael Donnelly, sent it into us to help uplift others.

“She doesn’t know anything about it,” said Michael, 52.

“Linda is lovely like that. She’s working with it all the time, but never complains.”

He added: “I’m so proud of her and all of the NHS staff – especially those on the frontline – they are all heroes.”

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Read Linda's poem in full:

I miss the hugs

I miss the touch

I miss my family

Oh so much

I miss the laughter, miss the chatter,

I miss the things that really matter.

I miss my grandkids

miss their hugs,

I miss the chaos miss the fuss.

I miss the party’s that we had

All together being mad.

I miss the love we gave each other

Although still there we’re not together.

I cannot wait until this ends

To see my family see my friends.

To all embrace and then unite

To say we did it, we won the fight.

To shake our hands to give a hug

To show how much we all are loved.

So till this happens I’ll wear my armour

Keep on fighting till it’s over.

Care for people I do not know

But treat them as if they were my own.

I won’t give up until it’s safe

Will keep on going to my work place.

One day the sun will shine above

And say come out you are all loved.

You are all safe the bad has gone

You’ve all been good the war is won.

Please believe, please have faith

Please stay home

Please be safe.

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