A heartbroken family have told how a dying mother-of-six was banned from saying a final goodbye to her three eldest children due to Covid lockdown rules in Wales – despite her pet dog being allowed in.
Lynette St. John, 42, from Tremorfa, Cardiff, was desperate to see all her children to say goodbye before she died of lung cancer.
Although the hospice and Welsh Government rules allowed her nine-month-old boxer pup Marley to her bedside, her three eldest sons weren’t allowed in to see their mother.
Lewis, 22, Tyler, 21, and Cameron, 18 couldn’t say goodbye to their mother but her boxer pup Marley was allowed in (Pictured Lynette St John with her son Oshea, 10 and their dog Marley)
Lewis, 22, Tyler, 21, and Cameron, 18, were denied the chance to have one last hug with their mother before she died last week.
The boys’ grandmother Janet St John said: ‘It doesn’t make sense – they allowed Marley in but not three of her children.
‘They are heartbroken, all they wanted was ten minutes with her to say their last goodbyes.’
The single mother was diagnosed in May and after two rounds of chemotherapy was told doctors could do nothing more for her and she was admitted to the Marie Curie Hospice in Penarth, Cardiff.
Cameron 18 (Top left), Tyler, 21 (top right) and front row L-R Nevaeh, 5, Oshea, 10, Fabian, 7 and grandmother Janet St John,63
Welsh Government Covid regulations allow the same visitor every day so her mother went in to comfort her dying daughter.
When her time was near, only Ms St John’s three youngest children Oshea ten, Fabian, seven, Nevaeh, five, were allowed in for half-an-hour each.
Janet, 63, said: ‘That was hard for her and for the children – there were a lot of cuddles and tears.
‘Marley was allowed in because dogs can’t catch or carry coronavirus and he did cheer everyone up.
Lynette St. John, 42, was desperate to say goodbye to all her children before she died of lung cancer
‘But it was desperately hard for Lewis, Tyler and Cameron who had to stay at home.
‘The idea was for them to say their goodbyes on FaceTime but in the end she was too ill. It never happened.’
‘We are one of thousands of families in this desperate situation – the little ones are too young to understand but it is so tough on the eldest boys.’
Grandmother Janet promised her dying daughter she would bring up the six children at her three-bedroom former council house in Tremorfa, Cardiff.
She added: ‘It is daunting but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I keep saying to the children ‘your mum will be laughing if she could see us now.’
Ms St John’s was diagnosed in May and after two rounds of chemotherapy she was admitted to the Marie Curie Hospice in Penarth, Cardiff
Ms St. John’s son Lewis said: ‘She was a crazy lady at times with a huge heart of gold – anyone who met her would never forget her.
‘The rules due to lockdown-fire break were heart-breaking – we didn’t get to say goodbye to our mum.’
The hospice said Marley was allowed in because there is no evidence that dogs can transmit the virus.
A Marie Curie spokesperson said they were following Welsh Government guidelines on face-to-face visits at the hospice.
The hard-up family has set up a GoFundMe page to help pay for her funeral.