The moment nurse leaves intensive care after being on a ventilator for 16 days

Stephanie Needs spent 16 days on a ventilator at Nevill Hall Hospital

This is the moment a nurse left intensive care after coronavirus pushed her dangerously close to death.

Stephanie Needs spent 21 days in ICU, 16 days of which were on a ventilator, at Nevill Hall Hospital, before leaving the ward to a round of applause from fellow NHS staff.

Ms Needs works as a nurse for Aneurin Bevan university health board at St Woolos hospital, as a member of the community reserves team. She began her nursing career in January 1981, aged just 17.

"I can’t thank the ICU team, the doctors, nurses, all members of staff who saved my mum’s life enough," said her son, Gareth Needs.

"To me, they are real superheroes. I owe them a debt for life for saving my mum’s life."

He described how hard the past few weeks have been for Ms Needs' family, including daughter Kirsty, her mother, and her six grandchildren.

"On May 3, at 1:15 in the afternoon, we received a video call of my mum saying goodbye to us. It was the most heartbreaking event I’ve had to go through."

Ms Needs was ventilated for 16 days and started coming around on the 17th day, after receiving a tracheotomy.

Mr Needs said: "On the 19th day then I put a video together - pictures of me and my sister, her mum, her grandchildren, bits of music and my sister singing. As soon as she saw that, that’s when she said, ‘I’m going to get myself into gear and come back to my babies.'"

The video of her leaving the ward, through a corridor lined with applauding NHS colleagues, was filmed by Stephanie herself from her hospital bed.

"After 21 days of being in intensive care, that was the best video I could’ve watched. I bawled like a baby," said Mr Needs.

A spokesman for Aneurin Bevan University Health Board said: “We are delighted to see Stephanie leave the Intensive Care Unit as this means she has taken a big step in recovering from coronavirus.

“We wish Stephanie the very best as she moves to the ward to further rehabilitate. We would like to thank all the staff of the Health Board who continue to care for Stephanie and all our patients at this time.”

The Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, which covers Blaenau Gwent, Caerphilly, Monmouthshire, Newport and Torfaen, had the highest number of cases per head of population in Wales early on in the pandemic.

In the latest Public Health Wales figures released today (May 25), it has been reported that the health board has experienced its third day in a row without any new reported coronavirus deaths.

Across Wales, the number of diagnosed cases now stands at 13,415 and reported deaths at 1,274.