LEE WAS OUR WORLD

Grieving widow says that she will never get over losing her beloved husband to killer disease

- VIVIENNE AITKEN

THE grieving widow of a dad who died of Covid after being turned away from hospital three times is demanding answers as a probe into the virus outbreak begins.

Lee James Dodds was just 32 when he passed away in 2021 and his wife, Charmaine, hopes the Scottish Covid Inquiry will uncover why people like her husband lost their lives.

He was one of 16,450 people in Scotland who died from the disease.

The inquiry, which begins in Edinburgh today, will look at how the outbreak was handled by the Scottish Government, hospitals and care homes.

Charmaine, 35, said the tragedy of Lee's death continues to haunt her.

She said: "Lee was our world and we were never apart. He was the perfect husband and the perfect dad, and we were all latched on to each other's hips.

"We feel like our world has ended. For a full year I had to cuddle our children to sleep. They still struggle seeing their dad's name.

"I begged for help three times but nobody listened to me. If they had, Lee would still be with us.

"By the time they took him in to hospital, it was too late. The staff in intensive care were fantastic but by then it was too late.

She added: "People need to be held accountable for my husband's death.

Charmaine worked throughout lockdown, looking after key workers' children at a nursery.

But her world was turned upside down when plasterer Lee, from Ayr, died on April 2, 2021.

His father, also Lee, 64, said: "Charmaine was only back in the classroom nine days when she got a phone call from two colleagues to say they had contracted Covid.

Charmaine tested positive and, days later, Lee, and the couple's children Gregor, now 13, and Amelia, eight, also became infected.

Lee snr said: "The children felt sick and were sweating but when they were getting better, Lee started deteriorating.