Leyland woman who lost her dad to covid calls for national day of remembrance
Rachael Lidgett lost her dad, Chris, to the virus in December.
A woman from Leyland who lost her dad to covid-19 is petitioning for a national day of remembrance.
Rachael Lidgett wants to pay tribute to her dad Chris Cooper who lost his life to the virus on 6 December.
Chris was just 63 when he died. Rachael said he had no underlying medical conditions and was a healthy man.
After her world was torn apart, Rachael started a campaign calling for a national holiday to recognise and remember victims of the pandemic.
Thousands of people have signed her petition calling for 23rd March - the day lockdown first started - to be an official day for people to remember lost loved ones.
Rachael said she's determined not to let her dad's death become a number: "They become a figure, they become a statistic, and that's not what I want my dad to be.
"I want him to be remembered as Chris Cooper, a dad, a husband, a brother...or papa, as my son called him.
"I think it's important that we can have a day to remember those that we've lost, but also celebrate their lives because we've not had proper funerals.
Rachael added that she would spend the day - when safe to do so - doing what her dad loved most; spending it with friends and family: "Just remembering what's important in life. Your loved ones are not always going to be there.
"Hug your loved ones and tell them how much you love them because that's the one thing I wished I had done...I did tell him I loved him, I just don't feel like I told him enough, and how much I needed him.
Rachael said the day wasn't just for lost loved ones, but for everyone that's been affected by the pandemic over the last ten months: "The girls that were working on the ward the morning that we went to say goodbye to my dad, what they have to endure on a daily basis, watching families say goodbye to their loved ones...that must be so traumatic.
"I think it's really important that we have a day as a nation to reflect on what we are going through currently and what we will still talking about in history books in years to come."
You can click on the link to sign the petition here: