Covid Doctor’s Emotional Farewell Letter to Family

Published: 20 November 2025 Thursday . The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online

In an email sent to his wife during the height of the coronavirus pandemic, Dr Matt Morgan, a 40-year-old doctor working in intensive care at Cardiff’s University Hospital of Wales, wrote what he feared might be his final farewell. Titled “Things To Know In Case I Die”, the message outlined instructions for his family and reflected a life he described as “bloody wonderful,” despite the uncertainty surrounding his own survival.

“I have had a bloody wonderful life. I have found love, travelled, partied, had two amazing children, spent time with friends, family, and done things I had never dreamed of,” he wrote. It was a message filled with warmth, love, and resilience, capturing both the gratitude of a life well-lived and the fear of a frontline worker facing a deadly virus with limited knowledge, resources, and protection.

At the time, Wales, like the rest of the UK, was grappling with the first wave of Covid-19. Hospitals were overwhelmed, intensive care units stretched beyond capacity, and healthcare workers were confronting an invisible threat without vaccines or effective treatments. Dr Morgan, originally from Neath, recalls vividly the moment the first Covid patient arrived at the hospital, the anxiety of watching them placed on a ventilator, and the simultaneous concern for the patient’s family.

“The fear among staff was palpable,” he said in a reflection five years on. “We were unvaccinated, unprepared, but we did everything we could to save lives. I wrote everything I wanted to say to my wife, my parents, and my two daughters, who were just 13 and 16 at the time.”

Dr Morgan’s daughters are now teenagers, and he continues to grapple with the emotional toll of those early days. In his email, he left practical instructions for his wife, including internet passwords and notes on household matters, but also shared heartfelt guidance about grief and resilience. “Easier said than done, but don’t stay sad for too long. Remember the good times, the times we laughed, and the times we cried. Look at old photos, remember me on my birthday, but don’t stay sad too long. We only have one life, as I now realise. Go and live it.”

He even suggested a non-religious funeral service, with the addition of one prayer for his parents’ comfort, and requested that the song Nightswimming by R.E.M. be played, demonstrating the personal and thoughtful touches that reflected his character and his love for his family.

The email is part of the broader context of the UK Covid-19 inquiry, which is set to release its findings on the Welsh government’s handling of the pandemic. The second report of the inquiry will focus on political decisions taken in Cardiff, as well as in London, Edinburgh, and Belfast. Between 2020 and mid-2024, Wales recorded more than 12,000 Covid-related deaths, with 83 fatalities reported in a single day at the peak of the second wave in January 2021.

Dr Morgan, now 45, has since highlighted both the extraordinary efforts of healthcare staff and the remarkable development of vaccines in record time. Yet he also voices concern about the lack of preparedness for future pandemics. Wales, he notes, has some of the lowest intensive care bed numbers in Europe per head of population, a statistic that leaves the healthcare system vulnerable. “Of course, politics has to consider the bigger picture: long-term issues, the impact on businesses, schools, and society,” he said. “But it’s challenging when decisions need to be made without results for a decade or more. We need better planning for future health crises.”

The pandemic also profoundly affected the younger generation. Rhys Morgan, from Gowerton, Swansea, was just 16 and studying for his GCSEs when the pandemic began. Now 21, he is the youngest member of the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru group. Rhys recalls the disruption, grief, and uncertainty he faced when his aunt, Lynne, who had been like a second mother to him, passed away due to Covid in December 2020.

“I couldn’t really make out what she was saying on her last call because of the breathing machine, but I knew she wanted me to know it was okay and that we could get through it,” Rhys recalled. “Then on Christmas Eve, my dad got the call to tell us she had passed. Dealing with that loss, and then trying to manage family life and Christmas, was incredibly difficult. It has left a long-lasting impact.”

Stories like Dr Morgan’s and Rhys’s highlight the human dimension of the pandemic: the anxiety, uncertainty, and emotional strain endured by both healthcare workers and bereaved families. Dr Morgan’s email is emblematic of the frontline experience, showing the personal sacrifices, fears, and moral weight carried by doctors, nurses, and staff as they navigated the unprecedented crisis.

The inquiry is also examining political decisions, healthcare capacity, and resource allocation. Critics have pointed to a lack of sufficient intensive care beds, delayed lockdown measures, and inconsistent public health guidance as areas that exacerbated the impact of Covid-19 in Wales. The upcoming report will shed light on how these choices influenced the course of the pandemic and what lessons can be learned for future public health emergencies.

Dr Morgan’s reflections underscore the importance of recognising the human cost of healthcare crises. Beyond statistics and policy, there are families, individuals, and frontline workers who bore the brunt of the pandemic’s effects. His message to his family remains a poignant reminder of the fragility of life and the enduring value of love, resilience, and human connection.

Despite the fear and uncertainty of those early days, Dr Morgan celebrates the extraordinary efforts of his colleagues, the resilience of his patients, and the remarkable speed with which vaccines were developed. He believes that while politics must weigh a multitude of factors, the health system itself must be better equipped, with adequate resources, training, and preparedness, to prevent future loss of life on such a scale.

For families like Rhys Morgan’s, the pandemic was a deeply personal tragedy that disrupted education, relationships, and milestones. The grief experienced by young people, who lost relatives during formative years, will continue to shape their perspectives and lives for years to come. The inquiry’s report will not only examine institutional and governmental responses but also the societal repercussions of the pandemic, highlighting the urgent need for policies that prioritise both safety and mental health.

Dr Morgan’s email, now public, has touched many across Wales and the UK. It is a testament to courage, foresight, and the deep bonds of family. “We only have one life,” he wrote, urging loved ones to remember joy, embrace memories, and continue living fully, even amidst tragedy. His story, alongside those of countless families affected by Covid, serves as both a personal reflection and a call for accountability, preparedness, and humanity in the face of public health crises.