A nurse has described the moment she rushed to help a terrified elderly man who 'feared he coronavirus' and hadn't eaten for more than a week while in isolation.

Lucy Duncan, 24, was driving home from a 12-hour shift at Wigan Infirmary when a car bumped into hers.

She followed the vehicle around the corner until it came to a stop in the middle of the road near Warrington Road in Abram.

Lucy got out of her car and walked over before seeing the driver was an elderly man.

The man, 73, opened his door and grabbed her arm in desperation, before telling her he feared he had coronavirus.

He told Lucy he had not been able to eat for 'seven to ten days' while isolation because he had no friends or family to do his shopping for him.

Lucy, who said the man was 'very poorly', called 999.

(Image: ABNM Photography)

After assisting paramedics, she drove to A&E and waited with the man for five hours.

Lucy, from Atherton, said: "I knocked on the window he opened the door.

"He reached out to grab hold of my arm. It was just surreal, it was not what I expected at all.

"I had a mask in my car, but nothing else. I put a mask on, he put his on. He said he hadn't left the house for seven to 10 days, hadn't eaten or had a drink because he has not been able to get out of the house.

"He said he hasn't got any family or friends or anyone who can get him anything so he got in the car to get some essentials.

"It was awful to see someone so poorly. He had beads of sweat dripping down his face. He was struggling to take a breath.

"He was drifting in and out of consciousness.

"The next minute, he would be concerned about his car, saying 'I have got car insurance'. I said 'I am not bothered about the car, you need to get an ambulance you are not very well'.

"When the ambulance came, they were struggling to find us. I had to keep running to the end of the street to flag the ambulance down.

"Every time I ran to the end of the street, he kept turning his car on. He was so breathless going in and out of consciousness. I wanted to keep him sat down in the car."

Lucy, a mental health nurse on the urgent response team, added: "The ambulance did find and they gave me gloves and an apron. I helped him into the ambulance.

"I stayed with him to be a friend, but I am a nurse, so can help with little things too. I helped walk him to the ambulance and to make sure the paramedics were not putting themselves at risk that was unnecessary.

"I followed them to the hospital in my car. I gave him my contact number when I left just if he needed anything while he was in hospital.

"I just wanted to make sure he was ok. I was concerned he was going to die and I just didn't want him to die on his own with nobody there, he was really poorly."

Lucy said she hopes to have a coffee with the man - if he recovers.

She said: "When we were waiting in the bay, he gave me some money and said 'I bet you are tired after being with me - go get yourself a coffee and get me one while you are there'.

"I asked the nurses, but his oxygen levels were so low they couldn't take the mask off him. I hope he gets better so I can have a coffee with him."

Lucy is now waiting to hear from the hospital if the man tests positive for COVID-19.

She is self-isolation - separately from her family.

"My family have all had to isolate themselves and leave the house so I can go home," Lucy said.

"They may need to isolate themselves until I know if I have been infected.

"But I know I have saved a man's life."

Lucy shared a picture of herself after her shift on Facebook and wrote about the incident.

The post has since gone viral, with social media users praising her for her hard work.

Lucy said: "I was reading all of the lovely comments, it is really nice to see but I feel like I was doing what anyone would do."

The nurse said she will be calling the ward later to check on the condition of the man.

Simon Barber, chief executive at North West Boroughs Healthcare, said: “Lucy’s story is absolutely fantastic. It brought a tear to my eye.

“I spoke to her earlier to say a massive thank you and well done in person and she really is the most genuinely caring person. I’m not surprised she’s been overwhelmed by all the messages of support – it’s pretty incredible how much attention her social media post has attracted.

“I and the rest of North West Boroughs Healthcare are so very proud of Lucy’s quick-thinking and selfless actions to help someone in need. She is everything we could possibly want our staff to be and is a shining example of true NHS compassion in these difficult times. What a superstar.”

Professor Craig Harris, accountable cfficer for NHS Wigan Borough CCG, said: "Lucy is a true Wigan heroine. What she did saved this gentleman's life and she did it without a thought for herself or the risk she faced.

"To have worked a long shift on the frontline, cope with being in a car accident and then find the humanity, love and generosity to help this gentleman in the way she did is simple amazing. A lot of our NHS staff will go above and beyond the call of duty in the coming weeks, and Lucy has really set the bar high for all of us. I applaud Lucy and thank her."

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