A fund has been set up to support the heartbroken Willenhall family of a loving husband and father who died of Covid-19.

Stu Davies passed away with the virus at Walsall Manor Hospital on 19 November. His wife Leeann Davies is a Sister in the Emergency Department (ED) at the Manor.

The 54-year-old had been admitted on 28 October, when he tested positive for the virus, before being transferred to the Critical Care Unit on 9 November.

During the first wave of the pandemic Stu, a house husband and former builder, raised over £2,500 through a Facebook campaign to buy personal protective equipment (PPE) for staff on ED and care packs for Leeann and her colleagues.

Now friends and colleagues have created a Just Giving fund to help support the family and are hoping to raise £5,000. So far, around £4,500 has been pledged, much of it from Leeann’s colleagues.

Leeann, who was married to Stu for nine years and with him for 22 years, said: “To Stu, family was the most important thing and always came before everything else – he very much loved his home, his family, his friends and his life here.

“He was a dedicated father to daughter Kristie and sons Krü and Kai as well as a wonderful grandfather.

“Stu was a builder by trade but he dedicated his life to helping anyone he possibly could.

“He was the kindest person I have known. And he was the life and soul of the party – he loved music and having a good time.

“Stu was also incredibly passionate about renewable energy and was trying to make our home as carbon neutral as possible.

“He loved gadgets and science. His main passion was motorbikes and he even had a photo of his motorbike on his bedside locker while he was in hospital!”

Leeann and her colleagues were touched by Stu’s fundraising efforts during the pandemic.

“He was so passionate in making sure the staff in ED were safe,” added Leeann, who has worked at the Manor for 15 years.

“He also wrote to companies and assembled self-care packs for the staff including items such as moisturiser, hand gels, tissues etc and distributed them to the staff in ED.”

Extra money Stu raised was spent on other items for the department, including four splints and a bladder scanner.

Friend and colleague and Emergency Care Practitioner Samantha Allen posted on the Just Giving page: “Leeann is our incredible, caring and compassionate ED Sister who during the pandemic has supported her fellow colleagues, patients and their family members.

“She has worked continually to provide the best care for the patients within Walsall Manor.

“We are hoping to raise money as much as possible over the next few weeks.”

Academy Clinical Skills Trainer Hannah Gallier, another friend and colleague, added: “Leeann is the greatest friend any of us could wish for and is the most reliable person – you could happily call her at 3am and she would strive to sort anything for you. Stu was also the same sort of person.”

A celebration of Stu’s life will be held this Saturday in Willenhall.

Anyone who would like to contribute to the fund should follow this link https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/leeanndavies