A HEARTBROKEN daughter has paid tribute to her “amazing dad” who died at the age of just 64-years-old after contracting coronavirus.

Elaine Nuttall said her family’s world had been “broken” with the death of Frank Nuttall on Sunday evening from covid-19.

The 38-year-old, who lives in the Morris Green area of Bolton, begged people to stay at home to keep themselves and others safe from the cruel indiscriminate disease, which has left the family unable to grieve together.

“We are devastated, heartbroken, struggling – we just can’t believe it, “ said Elaine, “My dad had diabetes but he was not unwell he was healthy, he loved walking and would walk for miles every day.”

She added: “We have had messages from people saying he was taken too soon and he was.

“I don’t think people realise what is happening ­— our world will never be the same again.”

Father-of-two Mr Nuttall, grew up and lived his life in the Great Lever and Morris Green area of Bolton. He was full time carer to his son Andrew, aged 36, who has Down Syndrome.

Andrew has yet to be told of his father’s death, because Elaine and Mr Nuttall’s wife Lesley are self-isolating together – away from the rest of the family as they went to see Mr Nuttall in hospital just before he passed away.

Elaine cannot even see her two children Kyle, aged 14 and Chloe, aged 13.

“I can’t even give them a hug, their granddad has died and I can’t comfort them.

“My auntie lives across the road, and all we can do is cry at the window. We cannot be together as a family at this time,” said Elaine.

Mr Nuttall started showing symptoms of coronavirus on Friday, March 28 and self-isolated as per the NHS advice, but his symptoms worsened, with a high temperature and cough and he developed breathing problems.

He was taken to Royal Bolton Hospital with breathing problems and put on a ventilator on the Monday.

The family were not allowed to see him but the ward allowed a quick call to Elaine and her mother before he went on the ventilator, to share messages of love.

The team treating him placed a heart in his hand to represent the love of his family, who were not allowed in the hospital because of the risk of coronavirus.

“We were there with him before he passed away on Sunday,” said Elaine, “We had to ask to be with him and had to sign a form saying we knew the risk and wear protective equipment.”

She added: “The nurses told us when he went in that they were treating him as if he was their father, and to place a heart in his hand, it meant so much to us.

"The nurses are amazing, the work they do, putting themselves at risk like that.

"When he died they cried with us. We have received a message of condolence from one of the nurses."

Elaine said her father’s two loves were his family and walking. When members of his family were self-isolating he would pick-up the essential shopping and leave it on their doorsteps.

Now Elaine clings on to the memories of her father, and is hoping that people in his memory will obey the social-distancing measures and not go out unless it is essential, so they don’t suffer the same heartbreak.

Elaine said: “My dad was like my best friend, he was an amazing dad, amazing grandfather. We all went away to the Ribble Valley over the February half-term and had a holiday, my children, me and mum and dad.

“He is the second youngest in his family and his three sisters and two brothers are heartbroken,

“One of my uncles is in Thailand and the other is in Birmingham and they cannot come up – this is how horrid this virus is.

“So please please stay inside and keep yourselves and others safe. This virus kills, we don't want anyone else to go through this,” said Elaine, who said that the family had been inundated with heartfelt messages on social media from the many people he knew and had met on his walks in Bolton.

Elaine is now appealing for hand cream to give to the nurses as a way of saying thank you for the care they gave her father.