Sister of teen who died from COVID-19 says she cries herself to sleep every night
The sister of a teenager who died from COVID-19 says she cries herself to sleep every night, as she described the shock of losing her older sibling.
Jorja Halliday, 15, died last Tuesday, hours after being rushed to the Queen Alexandria Hospital in Portsmouth.
Her sister Julie, 12, says she was it was a “complete shock” how quickly her condition deteriorated.
Julie and her sister Jorja (R)
“I was told that she had a lot of back pain, and she was very, very ill. She was very pale like a ghost,” she said.
A medical team tried to save Jorja, but were unable to stabilise her racing heart.
Jorja died on the day that she was due to have her vaccine
Julie was allowed to visit the hospital to say her final goodbyes.
“We started bursting into tears. We sat down, held her hand and gave her hugs and kisses, and I gave her a matching teddy so me and and her have got matching teddies,” she said.
Jorja lived with her mother and siblings in Portsmouth
Jorja had four younger siblings and lived with her mum Tracey in Portsmouth.
It was Tracey’s fortieth birthday last week, but the planned family celebrations were cancelled.
Jorja’s death was a rare case of a child dying from COVID-19
Tracey’s sister, Lucie Atkins, says her “loving, kind and generous” niece was liked by everyone and “an amazing human being”.
Jorja was 15 years old
Lucie described the last few days as “horrendous”, for the family as they start to plan Jorja’s funeral.
“The shock has come because of how quickly everything progressed. It was out of the blue. She was fit and healthy, and I think it’s a shock that I’ll never get over.”
Her mother, Tracy, described her as a “loving girl” and “beautiful young lady”
Jorja was passionate about kick boxing and used to train three times a week.
She had recently started coaching younger members of her club, and was working towards her black belt.
Her former coach, Sohail Chowdhary, from AG Martial Arts, said she was a “role model” for the whole community.
She died on the day she was due to have her vaccine
“She was so kind and caring. She was always trying her best. She put in so much attention to helping other people which was the most impressive thing about her,” he said.
Jorja’s death is a rare case, and the risks of COVID-19 to children remain incredibly low.
Jorja was described as ‘kind and caring’ by people who knew her
Her family though feel angry when they hear parents and teenagers being blasé about the virus.
“I think a lot of people don’t release the seriousness of the issue,” Lucie Atkins said.
Jorja was the eldest of her siblings
The family hope they can reassure and remind others why the vaccine is so important.
“If we can save just one person’s life as a result of raising awareness, then Jorja’s death wouldn’t have been in vain,” Lucie added.
The Queen is unwell with a chest infection and has withdrawn from her engagements this week, Buckingham Palace has announced.
A palace spokesperson said Camilla’s doctors “have advised a short period of rest” and added that “with great regret, Her Majesty has therefore had to withdraw from her engagements for this week”.
They added the Queen “very much hopes to be recovered in time to attend this weekend’s Remembrance events as normal”.
“She apologises to all those who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a result,” they said.
It is understood the Queen is currently resting at home and is under doctor’s supervision.
Birgitte, the Duchess of Gloucester, has stepped in on Camilla’s behalf to attend the annual opening of the Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey on Thursday.
The Queen has also withdrawn from a Buckingham Palace reception for Olympic and Paralympic athletes hosted by the King on the same evening.
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Camilla recently returned from an overseas tour of Australia and Samoa. No further details regarding her illness or treatment have been released.
A safety system was “blocked” during a fatal train crash in Powys, an initial investigation has found.
The Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) has published its initial findings into last month’s collision, in which one person died.
David Tudor Evans, 66, was described as a “lovely guy, full of life and enjoyment”.
A further 15 people were taken to hospital for treatment after the crash near Talerddig, police said.
The collision – at around 7.26pm on 21 October – involved the 6.31pm Transport for Wales service from Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth and the 7.09pm Transport for Wales service from Machynlleth to Shrewsbury.
The RAIB said the units were fitted with wheel slide protection systems – described as being similar to anti-lock braking systems in cars – and an automatic sanding system.
Sand is discharged automatically via hoses when a wheel slide is detected during braking – creating more friction at the wheel-rail interface.
A map showing the location of the crash near Llanbrynmair and Talerddig in Powys
The on-train data recorder shows the wheel slide started during braking and was also present after the driver made an emergency brake demand.
An inspection of the sanding system fitted to Aberystwyth-bound train 1J25 showed the leading vehicle’s sanding hoses were blocked.
The RAIB says they were apparently unable to discharge sand.
The ongoing investigation is also looking at the speed at which the trains were travelling when they collided.
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Initial enquiries suggest the westbound train was travelling at a speed of between 15mph and 24mph, while the eastbound train was travelling at a speed of 6mph.
The RAIB says its investigation will look at the sequence of events which led to the crash.
As part of the probe, the agency will look at factors including the actions of those involved, the level of wheel-rail adhesion, and the behaviour of both trains during and after the crash.
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In a joint statement, Transport for Wales and Network Rail said they have “fully cooperated” with the British Transport Police, the Office of Rail and Road and the Rail Accident Investigation Branch.
“As investigations are currently still ongoing, we’ll continue to work together with investigators to understand what happened and await the full conclusion and recommendations of the investigation,” a spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said safety was the “main priority” for both companies and they had “carried out enhanced checks to the trains and the railway line”.
“At this early stage of the investigation, it’s fundamental that we await the findings of the full report and show sensitivity towards our customers, colleagues, the local community and the families of those affected by the incident,” they added.
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