THE family of a 54-year-old man who received his Last Rites after contracting Covid-19 have described his recovery as “a miracle”.

Stephen Monaghan, who lives in Barnlee Residential Home, Lisnaskea, was taken to hospital on October 29 after becoming unwell.

Stephen, who has special needs, was accompanied by his sister, Caroline, and she explained how the days and weeks after Stephen’s admission were full of uncertainty as to whether he would survive.

Looking back at those uncertain times, Caroline – who says Stephen is the “glue” that holds the family together – described the whole matter as tortuous, and there was a stage when she did not know if she would ever see her brother again.

“He took sick on the Wednesday and then on the Thursday they [the home] rang the ambulance, and it came out, and I got the call to say he had gone to the hospital, and I went up.

“I could see him deteriorating in front of my eyes,” recalls Caroline.

“I didn’t know where to turn. It was the worst time of my life – I was standing crying over him.”

Not knowing if she would ever see Stephen again, Caroline gave him a kiss on the forehead before he was taken away by hospital staff.

“The Friday, he was very ill still. Saturday, we got a phone call to say things were not good, and on Sunday the doctor rang and said there was nothing more they could do, his organs were failing, and that more or less was it.”

Caroline continued: “It was horrific. The only way I could describe what I did, I roared like an animal because he is the glue in our family – he keeps everybody together.”

A local priest, Fr. Brendan Gallagher, administered the Last Rites to Stephen over the phone, and it was at that point a waiting game for Stephen’s family.

“It was a pure nightmare. I remember on the Sunday night after he went in, praying and waiting on the call to say it was over.

“I was in isolation at this stage because I had been in contact with Stephen. I was essentially planning Stephen’s funeral at home.”

Thankfully, the dreaded call did not come, and Stephen began a recovery that saw him leave ICU and moved back into a ward.

After a gruelling month in hospital in which Stephen was exhausted, had difficulty breathing and swallowing, and found it difficult to move his limbs, especially his legs – on November 29, Stephen was back in Barnlee.

Now, some five months later, Caroline describes how all the brilliant work from medical staff, Allied Medical Professionals (AMP) and nursing staff, have brought about a transformation in her brother since October.

“We are very thankful for all the medical, AMP and nursing staff’s care, attention and for the opportunity to live life again. As always, we are very grateful to his carers in his home in Barnlee, for everything they do for him.”

She also was extremely grateful for the amount of people who devoted prayers for her brother to make a full recovery.

“Because he had been through so much, he came home like an old man, and he’s like a young fella now that’s the truth.

“And he did his first steps on March 26, and he is just getting stronger every day, thank God.”

As he gets stronger, Stephen is eating more, and he and Caroline “rock around the room” listening to Big Tom whenever she visits, and the countdown is now on for when the rest of the family will be eventually allowed back in to visit their beloved brother.

Stephen’s family wanted to show the world that miracles do happen: “We want to let you all know, there is hope and miracles do happen. Stephen is the proof of that.”