Family reveals Covid-infected mum’s final moments in Townsville hospital

The grieving daughter of a much-loved Townsville volunteer has described the heartbreaking final moments she spent with her mother while she was isolating in hospital with Covid-19.

THE grieving daughter of an avid Townsville volunteer has described the heartbreaking final moments she spent with her mother while in isolation for Covid-19 in Townsville Hospital.

Mysterton mother of four Shirley Semple, 75, tragically passed away in the infectious diseases unit in Townsville Hospital on Tuesday.

The born and bred Townsville woman’s already frail health quickly declined after she caught Covid-19 last week.

It comes after Mrs Semple underwent an operation for bowl cancer last June that left her in hospital for seven weeks and soon after they discovered the cancer had spread to her liver.

Daughter Janet Jones said her mother’s health problems seemed to snowball from there.

Mysterton mum Shirley Semple, 75, tragically passed away on Tuesday. She was an avid community volunteer before her cancer diagnosis.

“She had to have a permanent catheter, she had cataracts and terrible shakes in her legs and hands,” she said.

“She was recently taken to hospital with fluid on the chest that will not budge. Then she contracted Covid-19 which just made things worse — she had trouble breathing in her last couple of days.

“They moved her to the infectious ward and she was due to get out on Tuesday because it was passed her isolation period but when it became clear she was going to pass they allowed us special circumstances to see her.

Mysterton mum Shirley Semple tragically passed away in the infectious diseases unit in Townsville Hospital.

“So we were allowed to go see her but it was so impersonal because we had to wear the full PPE (personal protective equipment) with the gown, mask, face shield and gloves.

“We tried to hug her but she was confined to her bed.

“It was pretty horrible.

“She was pretty out of it but I told her I loved her while leaving. I hope she heard me and understood.”

Mrs Jones said the hospital still hadn’t informed her yet what her mother’s official cause of death was.

Her tragic passing comes after Queensland’s youngest Covid-19 victim Ruby Grace Edwards died on Sunday.

Mysterton mum Shirley Semple pictured with her late partner John.

She said her mum was a second generation Townsville resident and was an avid volunteer in her community before cancer crippled her health.

“She was volunteer at the Hermit Park State School tuckshop, was often fundraising and selling raffle tickets for TripleT radio station and she even gave up her time helping people do their ironing,” she said.

Originally published as Family reveals Covid-infected mum’s final moments in Townsville hospital