When 19-year-old university student Owen Rodbard heard that his dad, Gary, thought he had contracted Covid-19, he could not have imagined that just over two weeks later, his father would be gone forever.

Gary Rodbard, 57 from Leicester, a much-loved former teacher, is sadly just one of the over 80,000 fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers, sons, daughters, friends and neighbours whose lives we have lost to the coronavirus pandemic.

With NHS hospitals across the nation bracing themselves for their most challenging weeks yet, Owen is paying tribute to his dad and to the Leicester’s Hospitals staff who fought so hard to save his life by taking on a 150km run over the next 30 days to raise money for Leicester Hospitals Charity’s Covid-19 Response Fund.

“Dad was a person full of humour,” says Owen. “He always had stories to tell. When he was in a room, he’d fill it with laughter. He was very kind-hearted.”

Owen describes how rapidly his dad’s condition deteriorated once it became clear Gary had contracted the Covid-19 virus in March 2020. “I was just about to leave university and come back home,” explains Owen. “My dad called me and said “I think I’ve got it”.

“He started reporting symptoms – he told me he was sweating through the night and couldn’t sleep. The next day, he texted me to say he’d been taken to hospital as a precaution. He was only there for about two hours and they decided to take him to Glenfield Hospital and he was put onto a ventilator. Not long after, he was placed into a medically-induced coma. That was the last time I ever spoke to him.” Gary was treated at Glenfield Hospital for 18 days before his condition suddenly declined, resulting in his death on April 12.

“It was a huge shock,” says Owen. “There isn’t anything that could’ve prepared me for it. You never expect to lose your dad at 19. It leaves a hole. It’s like the one person you want to talk to and to be there is no longer there.”

Despite the tragedy of losing his father, Owen has nothing but praise for the Leicester’s Hospital staff who did what they could to try and save his dad’s life.

“I can’t commend the staff enough,” Owen says. “They were under so much pressure. I remember thinking that I couldn’t imagine how hard it must be for those people in the hospital dealing with that day in, day out. It’s incredible.”

As an athletic young man, Owen decided he wanted to do something to support the hospitals that had helped his dad to try and fight this virus. Owen’s lacing up his running shoes to virtually run 150 kilometres over 30 days to help raise money for Leicester Hospitals Charity, starting today, January 12.

“My dad was always a keen runner,” explains Owen. “I’ve always been sporty myself, so it’s always been in the back of my mind about following in his footsteps.

“It’s that New Year thing where you set yourself some targets. I thought if I could raise a bit of money and help anyone who was in my dad’s situation or any of the staff who helped him or others, it would make me very proud.”

Owen has been inundated with support. Before he has even taken his first step, Owen has already raised over £1,000 for the Covid-19 Response Fund.

“I originally only set the target at £250!,” he laughs. “I never thought I’d get this far – it’s crazy. There’s so many people who’ve been so, so generous.”

Leicester Hospitals Charity has been helping to support all three of Leicester’s Hospitals since the first wave of the pandemic. The money raised has helped provide support for patients and staff, including wellbeing kits and mental health resources, additional equipment for wards and rest areas for staff to recuperate.

Owen urges everyone to follow all the guidelines to help prevent spreading the deadly virus and prevent others from losing loved ones. “I’ve seen what happens,” says Owen. “This virus is heart-breaking for so many people. Just be considerate of others.”

Anyone wanting to support Owen during his fundraising challenge can donate to his JustGiving page at justgiving.com/fundraising/Owen-Rodbard. To find out more about Leicester Hospitals Charity’s Covid-19 Response Fund, visit LHCharity.org.uk.