*Paula Brotherston (centre) with children Lauren (left) and Marc (right)*

Paula Brotherston worked for a cat rescue charity in Enfield, reports Rachael Burford, Local Democracy Reporter

The daughter of an animal rescue worker who died with coronavirus has spoken of her sadness that her mother will never meet her twin babies.

Paula Brotherston, 56, who worked at The Scratching Post charity shop in Lancaster Road, died after almost three weeks on a hospital ventilator. Paula was the mother of twins Lauren and Marc, 31, and had been overjoyed to learn her daughter was also carrying twins.

Lauren Brotherston, who is halfway through her pregnancy, said her mother had been desperate to “hold on to see the babies”. She said: “Mum was so kind and generous. She loved animals and working for the charity but used to say so many people would come in to talk to her she would never get any work done!

“I’m so sad she is not going to see my children and they will never get to meet her. I’m a twin and she was so excited when she found out I was having twins as well. She sent me her last bottle of hand sanitiser in the post before she fell ill because she said I had to look after myself for my babies.

“She really wanted to hang on to see them, but in the end she just couldn’t.”

Paula was diagnosed with the lung condition, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, six years ago. But her family said she had never suffered any symptoms or needed treatment. Paula started feeling ill shortly after the lockdown was announced in March and was taken to a hospital in Watford at the beginning of April. She died on 20th April.

Daughter Lauren added: “The hardest thing was not being able to say goodbye before they turned the ventilator off. My brother was allowed to dress up in all the PPE and go in but I was told, because I’m pregnant, I shouldn’t do it.

“Mum will always be remembered as a big community figure. The amount of support and well-wishes we have received since she passed away has been truly overwhelming and shows just how loved she was.”

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