THE DEVASTATED family of a Halesowen mum have told how she lost her fight with coronavirus after 15 family members are believed to have caught the deadly Covid-19 at a funeral.

Susan Nelson, aged 63, who had no underlying health conditions, died at the QE Hospital, with husband Robert at her side, after showing coronavirus symptoms and developing viral pneumonia.

Her daughter NHS worker Amanda Nelson - who has Addisons Disease - has tested positive for Covid-19 and has been desperately ill.

The 34-year-old has had two life-threatening 'adrenal crises' - episodes related to her condition brought on by the coronavirus - but is now at home with her father in Maslen Place, Halesowen.

The family has set up a Justgiving page to raise funds for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Charity - as a thank you for the wonderful care their mum received.

Amanda says they are awaiting the coronavirus test results on her mum, who died on Wednesday (March 25), but is "100 per cent positive" the test will show she had Covid-19.

Amanda said the coronavirus has "devastated" the whole family - with 15 members having showed symptoms since they met at a family funeral in Yardley Wood on Friday March 13.

Amanda, who works as a manager at the QE hospital, said: "Our beautiful, caring mum was the centre of the family - we are a very close, large family and this has destroyed us.

"In January we started to build the coronavirus testing pod at the QE - I didn't think it would come to anything.

"I just couldn't have envisaged the effect it would have on my family, with my mum dying and myself and 15 members of my family suffering from it.

"I want everybody to realise how hard this is. We were denied the chance to say goodbye as her children.

"We are not even going to get a proper funeral for her and there are no flowers we can buy for her.

"I hope this gives people the wake up call they need."

Susan's son Carl, a 42-year-old dad-of-three, who lives in Wiltshire, said: "We can't get together to grieve - we don't know if we will be able to have a funeral.

"It's scary - the speed at which it comes is frightening - within a matter of days we had lost mum - we couldn't see her.

"People can end up dying on their own. Thankfully dad was with mum but she kept asking for me and I couldn't be there with her.

"The cough is awful, it's very distinctive - I keep hearing it when I speak to family on the phone."

Amanda, who has been hospitalised with Covid-19, said her coronavirus started with itching in her eyes and throat and then a fever. She is still poorly and says her condition keeps going up and down.

Her dad Robert, 67, has also been showing symptoms.

Susan was well-known in Halesowen and used to work in John's Fruit Shop - then opened The Sandwich Shop on Long Lane in Shell Corner which she ran for around four years.

She was a supporter of Halesowen Scout Band, which Amanda and Carl were both members of when they were in Hasbury Scouts.

She was also a popular figure at North Worcestershire Equestrian Centre in Romsley, where Amanda keeps horses.

Susan leaves husband Robert, children Amanda and Carl and three grandchildren - Ellie, 14, George, 12 and Edward, seven.