Coronavirus: Family spends 30 hours on phone to say goodbye to quarantined father dying of virus

'It was a huge blessing,' daughter says

A family who were unable to see their father as he died from coronavirus spent 30 hours on the phone with him in the run-up to his death.

Due to the severe infectiousness of the novel coronavirus, Abby Adair Reinhard was not allowed to visit her father, Don Adair, as he succumbed to the disease in hospital.

However, in a touching gesture, a nurse offered to help the family say goodbye by putting a phone next to Mr Adair's ear.

The phone call meant Ms Reinhard and her three siblings were able to talk to their father in the 30 hours leading up to his death.

“It was a huge blessing,” Ms Reinhard told CNN’s, Anderson Cooper.

“It allowed me to have some sort of closure. I was able to say what I needed to say, knowing it was the end, and even though I couldn't see him and I couldn't hold his hand, having that connection over the phone was incredibly valuable.”

The siblings live miles away from each other in Denmark, Texas, North Carolina, and New York, but were able to join together on the phone to comfort their father.

They shared memories, sang songs to their dad, and expressed their love for him, Ms Reinhard told CNN.

“I thanked my dad, for being there for me, for loving me,” she said.

"I apologised for what I needed to apologise for, I forgave him for what I needed to forgive him for, and just started sharing memories and songs."

Ms Reinhard told the outlet that the heartbreaking experience has caused her to realise what's valuable in life amidst the pandemic.

“It all just becomes crystal clear that it's about family and it's about love,” she said.