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Family still struggle with wrestler's Covid death

Rachael Lewis
BBC WM
Listen on BBC Sounds: Cam Wellington, from Walsall, died on 19 November 2020, a week after first falling ill

The family of a 19-year-old wrestler who died after catching Covid say they still have an "empty feeling" after his death, more than four years later.

Cam Wellington, from Walsall in the West Midlands, died on 19 November 2020, a week after he first fell ill, his parents said.

Jane and Norman Wellington said they wanted to keep his memory alive but admitted the past few years have been challenging.

"You carry on and you've always got this mask; you try and have a laugh and a joke and when you get back home you have that empty feeling," Mrs Wellington said.

Mr Wellington added: "He walked in the hospital, he thought he was all right.

"Next thing you know it, we are getting a phone call that he was on a ventilator and from there it just went downhill."

Jane Wellington A wrestler with belt in the middle and two men to either of his sides. The wrestler only wears black shorts and holds an oversized leather-like belt with metal-like badges on it. The man on his right has a beard and wears a dark blue T-shirt with "Scrubber Daily" on it and a chain around his neck. The man on his left has a black bandana on, a black leather waistcoat over a black T-shirtJane Wellington
Cam started wrestling when he was 12, his family said

Cam started wrestling when he was 12 and became a junior heavyweight champion.

He would wrestle all around the West Midlands and was known for it locally, gaining a nickname of King of the Division which became well known in the wrestling community, his family said.

He was taken to Walsall Manor Hospital when he became ill before he was transferred to a hospital in Leicester where he later died.

His parents said they remain furious that, when he died, people in government were holding parties.

The Downing Street partygate scandal happened around the same the time as Cam's death.

Police issued 126 fixed penalty notices to 83 individuals over events held in and around Number 10 in 2020 and 2021.

At the time, Boris Johnson said he "fell short" of his own rules.

Two people sitting on a bench looking into the camera. One is a woman with short white hair, blowing over her face. She wears a black jacket with white piping. Next to her, a man with short blonde hair and a short beard wears a blue hoodie under a black jacket. Behind them is a grassy area with trees further back.
Jane and Normal Wellington said they remain furious at how people in government held parties during Covid while they were restricted in who could attend their son's funeral

Cam was cremated on the same day as one of the parties and his parents said, due to Covid restrictions, only 12 people could go to his funeral.

"The day of his funeral they were having a party up London," Mrs Wellington said.

"They were having one of their discos on the day of our sons cremation. We couldn't even invite family to the funeral," Mr Wellington added.

Looking back at the years since her son's death, Mrs Wellington said it has been tough for the whole family, especially Cam's siblings.

"I still expect him to walk through the door with his suitcase behind him - washing his stuff - it's just the little things." Mrs Wellington added.

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