A MUM has spoken of her relief after beating coronavirus and being reunited with her eight-year-old daughter.

Joanne Campbell from Canvey feared she'd never see her loved ones again while battling Covid-19 in Southend Hospital.

But the mum is a fighter and was determined to beat the virus and be reunited with her family at home.

The 41-year-old from Canvey said: “I thought ‘that’s it, it’s my time.' I was scared but in my head I was saying to my late step dad that I just wasn’t ready to see him yet. I didn’t want to go and I had to fight it.

"Within 30 minutes of being told, the intensive care team had me on a ventilator.”

And fight she did, for three days on a ventilator. In her corner fighting with her were the dedicated hospital staff from Southend Hospital, from the Emergency Department, the Critical Care Unit and Rochford Ward.

In total Joanne was in hospital for eight days before going home on April 4.

Ms Campbell said: “It goes without saying, but I am so grateful to every single person who looked after me at the hospital, not that I remember any of their faces as they were all wearing masks and full PPE, so all I remember are lots of caring eyes.

"I wouldn’t recognise any of them if I walked past them but I shall be forever in their debt.”

Two of those people who cared for Joanna and helped her recover were Arlene Bartholomew, deputy ward manager, and Mica Walpole, a healthcare assistant, both from Rochford Ward.

Arlene said: “It’s a happy ending, and these happy endings like Joanne’s have been the things that have kept us going through this.”

Her illness didn’t just impact Joanne and the dedicated staff who cared for her; there was also Joanne’s family who nervously received an update once a day.

Mum Joanne added: “Although I am the one who all of this happened to I think the effect has been hardest on other people, especially my daughter Isabelle, sister and mum.

“I didn’t see Isabelle for a month as I needed to keep her safe whilst I was at work."

The mother said it was really hard, so when she and her daughter did see each other again it was an emotional meeting.

She has just started her return to work, as a police medic in Thurrock.

Although her breathing has vastly improved and her recovery has been good she’s just taking baby steps as she still feels very fatigued.