Tom Moore, the 100-year-old British veteran of World War II who captivated the country by raising more than $ 40 million for the relief of COVID-19 last year, was admitted to the hospital on Sunday with the virus.
Hannah Ingram-Moore announced in a statement that her father, known as “Captain Tom”, was taken to Bedford Hospital in the United Kingdom after having trouble breathing. She said he had been treated for pneumonia in the past few weeks and tested positive for COVID-19 last week.
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“The medical care he has received in recent weeks has been remarkable and we know that the wonderful staff at Bedford Hospital will do everything in their power to make you comfortable and, hopefully, return home as soon as possible,” according to his Twitter statement.
Ingram-Moore said his father was being treated in an infirmary, not in the intensive care unit.
The Army veteran, who uses a walker, started raising about $ 1,200 for those working on the front lines of the coronavirus crisis, winding around a 25-meter circuit in his garden in Bedfordshire during the early stages of the pandemic last April.
Captain Sir Thomas Moore poses for the media after receiving his knighthood from Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain during a ceremony at Windsor Castle in Windsor, England, on July 17, 2020. (Chris Jackson / Pool Photo via AP , Filet)
He ended up raising more than $ 40 million for the country’s health service – and in the process he became a national hero.
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Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who had called Moore “a beacon of light through the fog of the coronavirus”, was among those who wished him a speedy recovery.
“My thoughts are very much with @CaptainTomMoore and his family,” wrote Johnson on Twitter. “You have inspired the whole nation and I know that we all wish you a complete recovery.”
“The whole nation expects you to be well soon @captaintommoore. You were an inspiration to all of us during this crisis, ”wrote labor leader Keir Starmer.
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Moore ascended to the rank of captain while serving during World War II, and received the honorary title of colonel after his fundraiser. He also received the knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II during a private ceremony at Windsor Castle last July.
Britain is currently vaccinating its entire elderly population against coronavirus, Reuters reported. A family spokesman told Sky News that Moore had not yet received an injection because he was being treated for pneumonia.
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“We understand that everyone will wish him well. Obviously, we are focusing on my father and will update them when possible,” added Ingram-Moore.