Jo Whiley has said her sister Frances “would like to say a huge thank you” to everybody who has helped her after she contracted coronavirus.
The broadcaster revealed last week that her sister, who has learning disabilities and diabetes, was admitted to hospital with Covid-19 after an outbreak in her Northamptonshire care home.
Whiley, 55, has previously questioned why she was offered the vaccine before her 53-year-old sister, who has the rare Cri du Chat genetic syndrome.
Update on Frances: a thread. First of all, Frances would like to say a huge thank you to everybody who has helped her, especially the amazing doctors and nurses of the NHS, and her many MANY well-wishers. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Te8jD9LtvZ
— Jo Whiley (@jowhiley) February 23, 2021
On Tuesday, she offered an update on her sister’s condition, writing on Twitter: “It’s hard to believe we’ve gone from discussing palliative care on Friday night to sitting on her favourite bench drinking cups of tea.”
She added: “Covid has brought with it further complications.
“We’re now dealing with worrying diabetes and high blood pressure issues, and my parents are exhausted beyond belief.
“It’s so hard observing from behind a visor and mask, helpless doesn’t cover it.”
Alongside a video of Frances giving a thumbs-up and a round of applause, Whiley said her sister “would like to say a huge thank you to everybody who has helped her, especially the amazing doctors and nurses of the NHS, and her many MANY well-wishers.”
She also renewed her call for people with learning disabilities to be prioritised in the vaccine rollout.
“Not everyone has been as lucky as us,” she said.
“So many have died or are suffering from long Covid because they were simply not protected.
“We need to show them that they are not forgotten and we care.”
On Sunday, Whiley told the BBC’s The Andrew Marr Show she had had the “worst week” of her life following Frances’s diagnosis.