NHS guard of honour for Caroline Maguire

Are all these coronavirus updates getting you down?

Well, here – on the day that we all pause to applaud to the NHS – are a couple of clips we are sure you will find uplifting.

The first shows the experience of Caroline Maguire, herself a nurse, who just one day into lockdown became a victim of the virus and was taken into intensive care at Hereford County Hospital.

The video, which her daughter Lucy Maguire has given us permission to share, shows her leaving the unit at the end of April.

She is ushered outside for some fresh air by a guard of honour of hospital staff in emotional scenes that leave a lump in your throat.

Lucy said: "To say that I am proud of my mum would be an understatement.

"She has spent all her life as a nurse helping and caring for people, and went into this crisis doing exactly that.

"Little did we think that one week into lockdown she herself would become a victim of Covid-19 and end up in intensive care."

"It has been the scariest and most horrendous few weeks of my life as no one knew what the next day would bring."

Lucy told of her delight that, as she recovered, her mum got to step outside the hospital to see the sun shining. 

In a message to her on social media she said: "Mum, you are amazing. You’re my best friend and my entire world.

"I will be forever grateful to all the NHS staff who have not only looked after my mum, but who continue to put themselves at risk to save others.

"You may have a long recovery ahead, mum, but you are not in this alone and we will see this through to the end together, as always."

We waiting before sharing this video, and asked Lucy if we could tell more of her mum's story. But after discussing it with her, she said she would prefer to concentrate of her recovery, though she was happy for us to share the clip and her daughter's comments.

Covid-19 patients leave Worcestershire Royal Hospital

Meanwhile, our second uplifting video comes from neighbouring Worcestershire, and is shared courtesy of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

It shows a succession of patients who have beaten Covid-19 and are leaving Worcestershire Royal Hospital watched by delighted NHS staff.

While our heart goes out to the loved ones of those who have had less happy fates, we are sure many people will take comfort from these images.

As the Hereford Times said on its front page near the beginning of the pandemic: "We will get through this". These videos renew our faith that we indeed will.

#HerefordshireTogether

Hereford Times: We will get through this: Hereford Times front page, March 19We will get through this: Hereford Times front page, March 19