Dunstable gran becomes second to die of coronavirus at Luton & Dunstable Hospital

Doreen Hunt, 72, died on Mothering Sunday at Luton & Dunstable Hospital after a rapid illness lasting over four days.

After her death, test results came through that she had tested positive for coronavirus.

Her devastated son Steve said: “This has made it all very real, and so many people have got in touch to say that it’s making them change their behaviour.

“We’ve had over 2,000 messages of condolences. It’s been a great comfort to my father.”

Mrs Hunt was the wife of former South Beds District Councillor John Hunt and the couple ran an insurance assessment business in Dunstable for many years.

She leaves behind a family of three children, eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren with another on the way. And they have been left deeply shaken by her sudden death.

Steve said: “My mother lived in Dunstable with my father, she was self isolating because she had underlying health problems.

“It’s very difficult dealing with this because normally you’d have friends and family coming to visit, but my dad has had to go back into self-isolation.

“We want no flowers for the funeral, we just want everyone to follow the government’s advice and stay at home.”

Mrs Hunt was on dialysis for kidney problems, and went to Luton & Dunstable Hospital at 5pm last Wednesday after becoming unwell.

Her condition quickly deteriorated and on Friday, she was moved to an intensive care unit.

Tragically, Mrs Hunt died in hospital on Sunday.

Doreen Hunt was born in Canning Town, East London, in 1947 and moved to Dunstable with her husband and young family.

Son Steve said: “She was born into extreme poverty, one of the poorest families in a poor area. Her twin Dennis died at birth.

“She went to school in dirty clothes because my nan was struggling with alcohol and couldn’t care for her properly. She didn’t like to talk about her childhood.

“She became as successful in business as she was as a mother, grandmother and great grandmother. She travelled the world and enjoyed a rich and varied life.

“When my dad was offered a job in Luton in 1973, she decided to move to Dunstable instead after the name of the town came to her in a dream.

“A relative once lived in the town so she knew just the name!

“They set up their business in 1976 and it traded very successfully from West Street until their retirement.

“Our family asks that nobody sends flowers and to follow government advice on staying safe.

"Stop looking for reasons and excuses to go out. There is no risk that is worth taking.

“If you get infected you don’t know which of your loved ones you might kill.”

Mrs Hunt is the second person to die from coronavirus at Luton & Dunstable Hospital, after a man in his 80s with underlying health conditions died over the weekend.

> L&D hospital has advised that most outpatient clinics will now be telephone clinics and they we will be sending letters, texting or calling to confirm these arrangements.

> If you have an upcoming clinic appointment, it is likely that this will be by telephone. A clinician will call you for a phone interview on the same date your appointment was due and at the same time or as near to this time as possible.

> There are now very few appointments being held face to face and if you do still need to attend in this way, someone from the hospital will call you.