'Don't leave me': Vaccinator lost husband to coronavirus

She spends her days administering cornavirus vaccines, treating patients and helping others fight the pandemic.

But behind her brave smile, Maria Hewitt is enduring the hardest emotional pain.

Just eight months ago, she lost her own husband to Covid-19.

John Hewitt, 53, was the first serving police officer in Scotland to lose his life to the virus. He tested positive last May and died within a month.

His wife, Maria, told STV News: “It was just so unexpected and such a shock, after thinking that he was recovering well.

“I just kept saying ‘please John don’t leave me’.

“I wouldn’t want anyone to go through the sadness and pain I do every day when I open my eyes and know my husband is no longer with me – it’s so hard.

“I truly would do anything to help others from contracting this disease.”

Maria, from Paisley, is a nurse with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde’s staff bank, having graduated in adult nursing with distinction at the end of 2019.

As well as recently training as a vaccinator, she’s been carrying out other shifts in other clinical areas across Glasgow’s hospitals.

While it’s tough being on the frontline, she’s doing it all in John’s memory, after spending 17 happy years together.

Maria, 55, said: “I will continue to try and be the best I can for John.

“He was always trying to help others, that’s the kind of person he was. He was a humbled, caring, and decent man who would always encourage me to help others as he did.

“It’s been emotional doing the vaccinations as on reflection, I carry the burden of losing John before this vaccination programme became available to the public.

“Everyone I have vaccinated are beyond grateful and kind to be receiving the vaccine, this reminds me of John; his caring and giving personality, always putting others and myself before himself.”