Eugene Ferry, a former footballer, was known as a natural entertainer
It came three weeks after the first case of COVID-19 in the North of Ireland was confirmed as the first wave of virus swept across the country.
The man who died in hospital was elderly and had an underlying medical condition.
He was to be the first of more than 2,000 lives claimed by the virus in hospitals in the North of Ireland in the 12 months since.
In the North West, a family from Derry have told how they said goodbye to their relative, the much loved Eugene Ferry, over zoom.
As the second wave deepened, hospital numbers soared and more lives were lost.
In October, there was a huge spike of Coronavirus cases in the Derry City and Strabane District Council.
On October 5, the council area went into a second lockdown in a bid to bring down the number of positive cases.
To date, 134 people within the council boundary have died in hospital from the deadly virus.
One of those who sadly lost his life was 62-year-old Eugene, who was a natural entertainer, well-known around Creggan and in Co Donegal.
He’d been a footballer for Derry City and a bakery worker.
“That morning that he did go in, October 29, he walked out of the house and he just goes to mummy: ‘I’ll see you later on, love’,” his son Eugene Jr told BBC News NI.
“He went into the back of the ambulance and that was literally the last time that they physically saw each other.”
A few days later Eugene was admitted to the intensive care unit.
Every day the nurses would set up a video call for him with the family.
“He lost his fight on Tuesday, November 10.
“When he went into ICU they told us he’ll either gradually get better or he’ll gradually decline.
“My father gradually declined – even the ventilation couldn’t have brought him back round.
Eugene Ferry, 62, pictured with his family, including Eugene Jr (left)
“The way we had to say goodbye was over Zoom.
“The nurses got him dressed, then they video-called us again and we just got to say our goodbye.
“So it was a bit: ‘No, this isn’t normal,’ you know, like a proper send-off – like a proper way to say goodbye.”
Tags: