Coronavirus: funds pour in for 'dedicated' Sussex nurse battling for her life

Maria Aurora Irene, who is known as Irene and works at the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath, is in the intensive care unit at the hospital.

The 46-year-old from Haywards Heath has been suffering with Covid-19 for almost a month and was hospitalised on March 26.

Irene was transferred to St Thomas’ Hospital in London after five days as she needed critical care, and was placed in the same intensive care unit Prime Minister Boris Johnson was treated in.

Irene’s husband Romell Ryan, known as Ryan, who is 46 and works at the Princess Royal as a healthcare assistant, also succumbed to the virus ten days ago and was placed in intensive care, but was discharged from hospital on Wednesday night.

Irene's husband Ryan was discharged from hospital on Wednesday, and remains in isolation

The couple’s family all live in the Philippines apart from their 14-year-old son Renelyn Cara, who has been looked after by a friend while they have been in hospital.

Aileen Germino, a healthcare assistant at the Princess Royal who has known Irene for more than ten years, said: “Irene needed an ECMO respiratory machine and there are not many across the country, so she was taken to London.

“She was moved back to the Princess Royal last Thursday and is in a high dependency unit.

“She just had a surgical tracheostomy, which is a big operation so it will be a long term healing process.”

Aileen decided to set up a crowdfunding campaign for the couple to reduce their financial worries.

The Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath

The 34-year-old said: “I set up the page as they have mortgages to pay.

“We immigrants always work lots of overtime and shifts to earn extra money. Healthcare assistants do not get paid as much as nurses, and they are not highly paid anyway.

“I wanted to help them so they could just focus on healing and getting better.”

At the time of going to press, Aileen’s crowdfunding page had raised £15,698.

Aileen said: “My original target was £5,000 and we managed that in a day.

“I didn’t want people to think I was being greedy after I raised the target so I switched it off, but was inundated with messages from people wanting to donate.”

Aileen described her friend Irene as “caring, loving and very dedicated”.

She said: “Irene and Ryan have given so much and have served the NHS for more than 20 years. I’m so relieved Ryan is home. Now we are just waiting for Irene.”

To donate, go to gofundme.com and search ‘Save Our Heroes’.

• The coronavirus Sussex Crisis Fund has been set up to help those affected by the pandemic. The Argus’s charity and American Express have each donated £50,000 to kick-start the appeal. Grants will usually be for up to £5,000. More information is available at www.sussexgiving.org.uk/apply. To donate visit www.totalgiving.co.uk/appeal/sussexcrisisfund.