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Son, 41, dies three weeks after visiting COVID-stricken dad in hospital

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Roy and Greg Smith died within a month of each other after contracting coronavirus. (Reach)
Roy and Greg Smith died within a month of each other after contracting coronavirus. (Reach)

A family are devastated after a son died of coronavirus three weeks after visiting his COVID-stricken father on his deathbed.

Greg Smith visited his father Roy, 67, in Queens Hospital in Burton, Staffordshire, and began suffering from his own coronavirus infection days later.

The Muller shift manager was put on a ventilator after being admitted to the same hospital but later died aged 41.

Their family said they were heartbroken at the deaths, with Roy passing away on 31 December and Greg on 24 January.

Read more: Vaccine slowdown could derail Boris Johnson's lockdown plans, leading COVID expert warns

Greg leaves behind partner Natalie and four children, as well as a stepdaughter. (Reach)
Greg leaves behind partner Natalie and four children, as well as a stepdaughter. (Reach)

"Greg's partner, Natalie, and his mother, Deborah, along with his four children and stepdaughter, are truly devastated at the loss of a husband of 45 years, a grandfather and only son at the age of 41 – a loving partner and amazing dad," the family said in a statement.

"Words cannot express our heartbreak. It has been the saddest of times but we have taken great comfort from the many tributes, kind words and gestures and to know how much they were loved."

Football fan Greg, who lived in Worcester, leaves behind his partner Natalie Passey, children Ceejay, 18, Cody, 12, Ivy, seven, and Oakley, four, as well as a stepdaughter, Jessica, 21.

Roy, who suffered with MS, lived in nearby Alrewas with wife Deborah, 66.

Read more: The UK now has the strictest lockdown in Europe

Roy passed away at the end of last year. (Reach)
Roy passed away at the end of last year. (Reach)

The father and son were given a joint funeral and socially distanced mourners paid their respects in Barton-under-Needwood, where Greg spent much of his life and coached, and Alrewas as a procession went through the villages.

Greg's son Oakley and nephew AJ paid tribute by wearing the football shirts of Burton Albion, a team Greg supported alongside Manchester United.

Millie Watson, 34, Greg's cousin from Burton, said: "I still can't believe this has happened. I'm going to miss them so much.

"The last time I saw Greg was after Roy had died and I went round to leave some food on his doorstep.

Greg's son and nephew paid tribute to him by wearing Burton Albion shirts. (Millie Watson/Reach)
Greg's son and nephew paid tribute to him by wearing Burton Albion shirts. (Millie Watson/Reach)

"He greeted me with his usual 'alright bab?' and stuck his head round the door.

"But the last time I properly saw him before that was his 40th birthday party.

"I'm so pleased my last memory of him was to see him happy and dancing."

A GoFundMe was set up to raise funds to support Passey, who was made redundant last year, and it has raised more than £6,000 to date.

Watch: What is long COVID?