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Ellen Björk’s 24th birthday didn’t turn out as expected.
He woke up to several missed calls in which Father Jan was dying from covid-19.
– I felt so bad that it was only on my birthday, says Ellen.
Six months have passed since Jan Björk, 63, ended up in the intensive care unit at Norra Älvsborgs Länssjukhus in Trollhättan, the night before Ellen’s birthday.
– It was an extreme shock when we entered his room, seeing him asleep on a respirator. He looked so pale, it was very difficult, says Ellen.
Photo: Anders Deros
Jan Björk, 63 years old.
My mother moved in with Ellen in Gothenburg, from her home on the outskirts of Mellerud. Three times a day they called the hospital during the three weeks that Jan was sleeping under a respirator before dying.
– We called to say good morning and good night. They put the phone to his ear, we expected him to hear us even though he was asleep. The staff was great. Doctors would often call and explain the situation in detail and we had to ask questions. The auxiliary nurses and nurses were very understanding and did a fantastic job, says Ellen.
Photo: Anders Deros
Ellen Björk’s 24th birthday didn’t turn out as expected.
Since there were quite a few patients in the intensive care unit, they had to visit Jan five times. The last time, on June 12, he had clots in three places in his brain.
– They couldn’t do more. I took her hand as they pulled out the respirator. I am so grateful that me, my best friend and my mother were allowed to be there when he passed away. But it’s probably the worst feeling to hold the person you love the most in the whole world in your arms when they fade away.
“The best dad in the world, funny and loving”
Also in the hospital room was a teddy bear that Ellen and her dad Jan always played with when she was little. Ellen was Father Jan’s only daughter and they were very close.
– He was the best father in the world, funny and loving. When he came home from work, he could play with me for several hours.
Ellen remembers a time when her father, after they had a fight in the morning and she came home from school, had to open little notes that led her from place to place and finally to her favorite hidden buns.
– It was his way of apologizing for the fight. She was about eight then, Ellen says.
Photo: Anders Deros
Ellen thinks of her father every day.
She thinks of her father every day.
– When something happens, I want to call Dad and talk about it. He was very supportive and was able to calm me down.
Even after she moved house, they were able to talk on the phone for several hours a day. Jan retired in 2018 from his job as a journalist at the Vänersborg newspaper TTELA. He wrote about hospital problems and in the service he often visited the hospital where he later died.
The funeral at the East Chapel in Gothenburg got very personal.
– Dad hated black, so the 50 guests could dress whatever color they wanted. Those who spoke during the ceremony were his closest friends and my older brother who grew up with him, says Ellen.
After his father’s death, he realized more than ever how popular Jan Björk had been.
– I don’t think he understood how popular he was, how nice he was. It made a great impression on people. He was genuine. I’ve never heard him speak ill of anyone, Ellen says.
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