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1/This is my Granda Brian. He is 85 and is the most selfless person I have ever and will ever know. A true gentleman and I want people to know his story
2/ He was born in West Brom and raised by his grandmother and aunt. After serving in Suez, he married my gran in Glasgow after meeting her on a holiday for young people in the UK. After numerous miscarriages they decided to adopt children.
3/ First an older boy âwho hadnât worked anywhere elseâ & had been brought back a number of times. It was my Granda who spotted him, only to be told âyou donât want himâ He immediately felt they needed to be his parents. Then my mum a few years later. They were fantastic parents.
4/ When my mother found her birth family this included a biological brother who had been put up for adoption only a few years after her. My grandparents were not told of his birth otherwise they said they would have taken him too without a second thought.
5/ His adoptive parents have both since died and they then took him on as an adult as their son. They sent him birthday cards and presents and treat him as though he was never anyone elseâs child. My Granda refers to him as âmy sonâ.
6/My mum has worked in addiction services for decades. When recovering addicts finished their rehab stays, we often took them in until they found their feet and so did my grandparents. They taught them life skills & showed them a loving home - for many this was their first
7/experience of this. It was life altering for their physical and mental health. That wasnât enough for my grandparents though, once they left for their own homes my grandparents kept in touch, sent cards and even took them on caravan holidays again saying they were like their
8/own children, despite them taking them in as adults. My gran - way ahead of her time - had a good job as an economics teacher, sadly lost her battle with dementia in Aug 2019. My Granda has struggled deeply with the loss since then and has been living in a care home albeit
9/very independently. Lockdown hit him hard. The loneliness and lack of visits from family made him despair. We had very little but window visits and the lack of true human contact made him so sad you could hear it in his voice & the staff saw it in his personality
10/We thought he made it through 2020 without contracting COVID. Between Christmas and NY we were informed 2 members of staff were positive he was tested 27th Dec. Then 1/1/21 dreaded news, he was positive. Routine tests can take days to come back meanwhile asymptomatic staff
11/ and residents continue to spread it throughout the home while they await results not knowing they are infected. Sadly these delays will be costing lives. My Granda seemed fine for the first few days of 2021 but deflated. No temp and no cough.
12/ Then suddenly on 5/1 his oxygen dropped dramatically, he couldnât breathe. He was taken eventually by ambulance to the QEUH.
13/His treatment there has been second to none. The doctors and nurses have kept us updated on his condition throughout and all have said he is a delight to care for. Asking after them & their families and not about himself. Barely complaining despite his stats being so terrible.
14/Then even worse my mum was called to say she needed to say goodbye. His heart was failing due to the amount of stress he was under from lack of oxygen. They wanted her to be able to have the conversation before he was on morphine and unresponsive.
15/The next morning we were called and told he had rallied and stabilised. He was telling everyone that seeing his daughter was the best medicine they could ever have given him. His mood had drastically improved to the point where he fought to live again.
16/ During the visit he told my mum he would not let this take him because he could not allow her to lose him so soon after her mum âI simply couldnât do that to you.â Again, totally devoid of self. A few days have passed they have managed to reduce his oxygen down slightly
17/he had been ever so slightly improving but today heâs taken a turn and today has been moved onto palliative care
18/I am hoping for widespread love for Brian from this thread - hopefully it will bring us all some comfort at this time - we wanted a few more years with him but our memories will be of the greatest of men.
19/Update - Granda Brian went home to heaven in the early hours of this morning. The pain is ours alone. He was not a statistic he was a fabulous human who led an epic life of service. 
20/ #BeLikeBrian
