A sixteen-year-old who had said her goodbyes to her father after her family were told he had 'zero chance' of surviving coronavirus after spending 22 days on a ventilator has revealed she would 'give anything' to hear his voice again.
Mother-of-two Sue Martin, from Cardiff, broke Radio 4 listeners' hearts earlier this month as she revealed she was given 10 minutes to say a heartbreaking final goodbye to Mal, 58.
But now her daughter Hana has given a brave interview recalling the awful hospital visit, saying: 'The state that he was in, it was just horrible to see my dad like this. He was swollen, his hands swollen, you could see his arteries, his veins.'
Mal is set to undergo a tracheostomy this week after 22 days on a ventilator, with Hanna telling Radio 1's Newsbeat: 'At this point I will take anything to just hear his voice or see him again.'
Hana Martin, 16, has recalled her heartbreaking visit to hospital to see father Mal, 58, as he fought for life on a ventilator (pictured left, with her mother Sue, centre, father Mal, right, and brother Wiliam)
The 16-year-old also recalled her final conversation with her father as they spoke over FaceTime hours before he was placed on a ventilator.
She said: 'He said he'd make it through as it wasn't his time. It was at that point calling him and then realising this could be the last time we ever speak to him.'
But as Mal clings to life, the family are now focused on recovery and discussing how to help him survive without ventilation.
Hana revealed: 'It is the first time I've believed he can make it through.'
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'I don't think we could have asked for any better news considering the situation. Maybe we can even Facetime.'
Her mother Sue tweeted yesterday to reveal her husband was taking 'baby steps' forward, saying: 'I know it’s going to be very slow and tough progress but it’s progress. Baby steps forward is all we can hope for. Day 21 ventilator for Mal, too weak to wean so tracheostomy early this week.'
Meanwhile the teenager shared a warning with the public about the importance of following the government's guidelines.
Hanna said: 'The virus doesn't care who you are, how old you are, how healthy you are.'
Hana said she would 'do anything' to see or speak to her father again as he battles for life on a ventilator
'You have no idea how badly this virus can ruin your life. The only way this can be over is if everyone pulls together and follows the rules.'
Mal, a diabetic, became unwell with symptoms of coronavirus on 19 March, but the family believed that he would pull through because he was healthy and fit.
But after 10 days, he became progressively worse, and Sue called for an ambulance on 29 March, with Mal walking out the door alongside paramedics.
Hours later, the family received a devastating phone call telling her that Mal was so unwell he would need to be put on a ventilator and he had a 50 per cent chance of survival.
Despite the severity of her husband's condition, Sue believed he was fit and strong, and initially felt optimistic about his chance of survival
As his health continued to deteriorate, Sue, Hana and William were rushed to the hospital and given 10 minutes with Mal to say their goodbyes.
'We just told him that we loved him. It was heartbreaking to hear the children tell him that they were going to make him proud,' Sue told Radio 4's Today programme.
'Although everyday we prepare for the worst, there's a little glimmer of just maybe, just maybe, he might turn a corner.'
Mal, chairman for a recruitment firm, and Sue, communications manager at department for transport, got married in September 1996, and have now been together for 28 years.
He founded recruitment firm Time 4 Recruitment in 2001, with the strapline 'the agency that cares'.
Mal is a type 2 diabetic and suffered a heart attack four years ago, but despite that Sue said he lived a 'very, very healthy' life.
He first started feeling unwell on the evening of 19 March, complaining of cold-like symptoms.
Sue believed he would likely be poorly for a week or so, saying: 'We were prepared for a week of him being really unwell and he just got progressively worse.'
The following morning, he couldn't get out of bed, and was suffering from a dreadful cough, a headache and a temperature of 38.8C.
She said: 'The cough was the worse thing for him. It was like nothing else I've heard before.'
Straight away, the family started following the guidelines, with Mal self-isolating in the house and Sue vigorously cleaning down the bathroom after he had used it.
After a week, Sue tried to seek medical advice, but struggled to get through to 111 services, saying: 'I tried twice and I was on hold for one hour and 22 minutes each time and then cut off.
'I suppose that's the maximum amount of time you can be on hold. I understood they would be very busy and inundated.'
Instead, Sue rang her local doctor who spoke with Mal, and went on to teach Sue how to take a record of her husband's health.
Sue continued to care for her husband, checking him every other hour for the next few days.
During their final Facetime call with Mal, the father-of-two promised his son Wiliam that he would see him play rugby for Wales one day
Sue continued to care for her husband, checking him every other hour for the next few days.
Then, on 29 March, he suddenly seemed to get worse, with Sue staying up all night to observe her husband.
She said: 'By the early hours of Sunday morning, his breathing rate had become very very rapid and that's when I rang an ambulance and he was taken in. It was day 10 of the virus.'
As the family said their goodbyes, they were told 'not to go near' him, with Sue revealing: 'It was awful because I wish now that we had been able to give him a hug.'
She added: 'I really thought that, a couple of days on oxygen and he'd be back home with us.'
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