WAKING up on Mother's Day there will be someone missing for the Honeyman family as it is exactly one year since they lost their beloved mother to covid.
Thought to be Scotland's second covid victim, great grandmother Eileen Honeyman, 74, had been enjoying a get together with her daughters just weeks before being admitted to Glasgow's Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.
She was initially admitted due to concern with her breathing as she had been diagnosed with nodules on her lungs but in early March last year her family were told that her condition was worse than they had originally thought. She was diagnosed with cancer which had spread and she was given months to live.
Read more: Covid one year on: families pay tribute to those lost to the virus
On the weekend of the anniversary of the first Scottish covid death, the family have bravely spoken out.
Agnes Honeyman, one of Mrs Honeyman's six children, said: "Everything seemed to happen so quickly. We were dealing with mum being told she had moths to live and it was very early days of people talking about coronavirus. We were told that as soon as her pain was under control they would be able to let her go home where we would be able to look after her.
"She was due to go home, but on March 12 she complained of feeling worse and she was taken for an x-ray. A few people in her ward had been swabbed for covid and we were told they were 99% sure mum didn't have it. We are a large family and had been able to visit her without restrictions at that time and were told repeatedly she didn't have the virus.
"Mum wasn't getting any better and we were all gathered at the hospital with a few of us at at time able to sit with her - she died on the evening of March 14."
Eileen Honeyman died at the age of 74 on March 14, 2020
Devastated at their mother's sudden death, they had their suspicions that it might have been covid related and in fact were told by an undertaker that it was the cause of death. They also believe it was hospital acquired.
"We had all been in to see mum in the final days, but then we found ourselves having to self-isolate for 14 days as mum had contracted covid," added Agnes. "In the end none of us developed symptoms but we took it upon ourselves to isolate rather than run the risk of spreading it unknowingly. It meant we had to wait at least two weeks to have a funeral because we were all in isolation and even then there was such restricted numbers that her grandchildren and great-grandchildren could not attend."
Read more: Covid one year on: Glasgow RAF veteran lost his life to covid at the age of 104
The one thing they would like to do is come together to remember the 74-year-old, from Glasgow's Drumchapel area, and celebrate her life.
"Today will be hard as it is Mother's Day and although we can meet up with another household outdoors we can't hug. We couldn't even hug our siblings at her funeral as we were all socially distanced. It was held in full lockdown and we couldn't have flowers, except a rose each to lay. However, it is our hope that we can come together and hold a service in celebration of her life when it is safe to do so."
Daughter Marion McDonald paid tribute to her mum, saying: "Our mum was a wonderful funny witty person. She loved to live in the spur of the moment and even in her 70s was raring to have a go on a motorbike - but we had to stop her! She had six children, 25 grandchildren and 20 great grandchildren. Mum was loved so much and is missed greatly. The only comfort we have is that mum is now with our dad her soul mate William, who she affectionately called Bonzo."
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