A mum-of-three who nearly died from Covid is finishing her time in rehab where she has been treated for brain injuries, PTSD and nerve damage.

We reported last month how Kelly Cooney had told how she never thought the virus would affect her or her family.

However, on Christmas Day, the 37-year-old was placed on a ventilator in intensive care before being put in an induced coma.

Days later, she was airlifted to hospital in Oxford as she was left temporarily paralysed.

Almost six weeks on, the Frindsbury resident is finally heading home after rehabilitation at Amherst Court Care Home, Chatham.

After contracting Covid, the full-time carer is now suffering from hypoxic brain injury, peripheral nerve damage, damage to her tongue and delirium.

She said: "All of the problems I am facing are because of the lack of oxygen my brain received.

"Due to this, my right leg and right hand are paralysed. My body is weak and it is likely I will be in a wheelchair for some time.

"I can only walk around 35 meters while dragging my leg around at the moment; it will take time and lots of physio to get back to normal and hopefully my brain will make new pathways to the affected areas."

In two weeks, Kelly lost two stone, and due to the experiences she faced during her time in ICU, she has been receiving counselling for PTSD.

She added: "This helping, the nightmares I have are really bad because of the things I faced after complications.

"I am still so grateful for the NHS, the follow ups are amazing they honestly really do care about your recovery."

Before Kelly tested positive, she and her family had been self isolating and shielding due to her dad's vulnerability following a kidney transplant four years ago.

She said: "I never thought it would happen to our family, we were all so careful because of my dad, we were wearing masks but I just never thought Covid-19 would affect us the way it did.

"It all began when my son, Camren, 15, was sent home from The Hundred of Hoo Academy, someone in his class had shown symptoms so they were all told to go home and isolate.

"He showed none of the common symptoms just a headache, but to be sure we got him tested twice and he tested positive.

"We all took tests, myself, my dad, my son and other two daughters all tested positive, however, apart from my son's headache, the rest of them were all asymptomatic."

Kelly tested positive in mid December but being in good health and only having a slightly high temperature, she believed she was going to be okay.

But her condition suddenly deteriorated on Christmas Day and she went into Medway Maritime.

On New Year's Eve, Kelly was taken by air ambulance to an emergency RotoProne Bed at the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford.

The specialist equipment automatically turns patients suffering with respiratory problems.

Turning patients from their backs to their fronts helps their fight, as it boosts blood oxygen saturation levels, often called sats, among patients struggling with abnormally low levels, known as hypoxia.

It usually takes a group of ICU doctors and nurses to turn one single patient and due to Kelly's condition, Medway staff were unable to keep up with her medical demands.

At one point her close-knit family were told to prepare for the worst and discussions were made about organ donation.

Medical staff rallied round organising Skype calls with Kelly's children Daisy, 18, Camren, and Summer, 10; her sister Louise Stoppani, 39, and parents John and Dawn.

Divorcee Kelly said: "Because of the cranial damage to my tongue it sits wonky in my mouth and I have trouble eating solid foods so I'm on a soft diet.

"There isn't really anything else the rehab team can do, I'm ready to go home and see my children.

"They're not sure how long my paralysis will last, it could be six months, one year or 10 years, the brain is a strange thing and it will take time to heal.

"I am very happy to be going home, I still have really bad days and my delirium is really hard with my PTSD, I was so confused in the ICU, it was so scary, I can't sleep at night without medication because of it.

"I still get out of breath, I suffer from memory loss, my eyesight has also deteriorated, all because of Covid.

She said: "I can't believe I survived, because my organs were shutting down, my kidney's stopped working and I turned yellow, my feet and hands went black because of the lack of oxygen in my blood.

"The nurses and doctors who looked after me have so much compassion, it didn't matter how busy they were, they always took time to check on me not only physically but also emotionally.

"I saw their exhaustion, I saw the pain on the nurses' and doctors' faces, but even while I was on full life-support, they did everything they could for me."

"Covid-19 is evil, what it does to your brain is unbelievable, it's stopped me from doing the most basic things such as watching TV, I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

"I want to thank all the staff at Medway Maritime Hospital and John Radcliffe Hospital for what they did for me, they saved my life, they brought my kids their mum back.

"The doctor and nurses courage and bravery is like nothing I've ever seen before. They're brilliant. "

Kelly has said she will be taking the vaccine as soon as it is available to her and her family, due to the fact the virus has made her so vulnerable to illness.

She said: "Wear a mask, listen to the government guidelines and don't be selfish because it could be you that wakes up from a coma unable to walk."

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