Nurse who is battling 'incurable' cancer becomes one of the first from South Tyneside to receive Covid vaccine

Sarah Ward from Jarrow has spoken of the ‘emotional’ moment she received the coronavirus vaccine and is sharing her story as a message of hope to others in the borough that the life-saving jab is here.

The 48-year-old has been locked in a seven year battle with ‘incurable’ breast cancer and has to undergo chemotherapy every three weeks at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead.

When the coronavirus pandemic hit in March this year Sarah was among those listed as ‘extremely vulnerable’ and was told by the Government she must shield.

After seven months in isolation the mum-of-one was determined to return to work in her role as an auxiliary nurse on Ward 6 at South Tyneside Hospital, despite her cancer battle.

But as the North East was put into a second lockdown Sarah was told that she would need to step back from her frontline role once again because she is ‘high risk’.

The news came as a blow to Sarah but now she has been left overjoyed at being selected to get the Covid vaccine which she hopes will be the first step in returning to work.

After receiving a phone call with the news on Wednesday morning, Sarah went to Seaham Primary Care centre that evening to receive the vaccine.

Sarah, who is mum to Emily Ward, 12, had even undergone a session of chemotherapy that afternoon.

She said: “I was really excited about getting the vaccine and receiving it was quite emotional.

"I have a little girl who has been so anxious about me so to get the vaccine felt like all of my Christmases had come at once.

"As a cancer patient you are a really vulnerable person so being able to have it has been a massive relief.

"I think getting the vaccine will be a real boost for the people of the North East.”

Sarah will receive the second dose of the vaccine on January 6 and wants to encourage others who are offered the jab to take it.

She said: “It has got to be safe otherwise the Government wouldn’t have released it.

"It is a lifeline for people so we can get life back to normal.”

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