A NORTHERN IRISH mother and daughter have died in hospital just two beds apart from one another after contracting Covid-19.
Heather Maddern and her 32-year-old daughter Sammie-Jo Forde, both of whom were care workers, passed away last week in a Co. Down hospital.
It's understood that both women had chosen not to take the Covid-19 vaccine.
Sammie-Jo's father Kevin McAllister, who was Heather's former partner, said their deaths will "haunt" him for the rest of his life.
Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster on Wednesday, Kevin said he had just endured the worst weekend of his life.
"My daughter passed away on Saturday from Covid-19. Her mummy got buried yesterday. She had Covid-19," Kevin explained.
"Both of them never took the Covid-19 injections. These people who are not taking the injections, they're not thinking of the other people they're leaving behind."
Distraught father of 32yo daughter describes how she and his ex-partner died from Covid just days apart. Neither of them had been vaccinated.
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The devastated father said his daughter was his "best friend", but now all he has of her is memories.
"She's getting buried next Monday and I cannot even give her a kiss cheerio. I've heard people come on who have lost parents but I wouldn't wish what I'm going through on anyone," Kevin said.
"I can't get it out of my mind why she didn't take [the vaccine]. It will haunt me for the rest of my life.
"They helped other people and they couldn't even help themselves," he said.
Mr McAllister was reduced to tears when mentioning that Wednesday was Sammie-Jo's son's 13th birthday.
A GoFundMe page had been sent up to help the family cover funeral costs, and managed to raise over £10,000.
