Wirral mum singing to honour dad killed by coronavirus

Mandi Fisher overcame her own battle with Covid-19 just days after the virus killed Philip Gibbons, from Bidston, on April 8.

The 85-year-old always encouraged Mandi to follow her dream and sing to the world.

So that is exactly what the Leasowe vocalist decided to do – and she is even set to fulfil her dad's final wish by releasing her debut single No More Lies.

Mandi, 28, told the Globe: "I wanted to turn something horrible around into something more positive.

"Once I got better I was feeling useless. I was thinking, is this going to be me sitting here every day grieving?

Mandi with her dad Philip on her wedding day

"I wanted to do something that meant my kids didn't see me cry. I wanted them to see me do something that my dad loved instead."

Philip, whose wife Pauline died with cancer four years ago, had previously beaten cancer himself twice and a heart attack.

He had a fall in March and doctors suspected he had a water infection, but following a second fall and a soaring temperature he went to hospital.

Philip was found to have a chest issue, but returned home to be cared for by Mandi and her brother Deano.

"He hated going to the hospital," said Mandi.

"He said he was wasting their time while they were looking after people who had Covid-19."

Philip and his wife Pauline Gibbons, Mandi's mum

While Philip had been tested for Covid-19, he had not received his results, so he returned to hospital for another test and was found to have Covid-19.

He battled the virus for three weeks and slipped into a coma for four days, before he died on April 8.

Mandi added: "The doctors told me they were not sure how he had hung on for so long, but he was such a strong man."

Philip last saw Mandi perform on March 13, and following her own battle with Covid-19, his daughter decided to get back to her singing.

With the support of van driver Paul Fab, she has been singing outside nursing homes and Wirral residents who are self-isolating to raise a smile in difficult times.

Mandi is raising funds to buy gifts for frontline workers from local businesses struggling in the pandemic – a plan she says 'supports two good causes in one'.

Mandi has been performing outside care homes

So far, she has raised £846, with a goal to raise £1,000 on her Just Giving page.

She said: "He never really went out but he always went to my shows. He was such a big supporter of my music. Anywhere I was, he was.

"He told me, 'make sure you keep using your voice, make sure the world hears you'. That is what I am doing now.

"The videos are getting thousands of views, people are watching them from different countries. I am fulfilling his wish and bringing people joy."

Mandi's calendar is now booked up for the next six weeks with performances.

Her singing has gone down well outside nursing homes, where Mandi says the tireless staff have been 'dancing outside the residents' windows'.

Mandi is booked up with performances for the next six weeks

She also raised a smile for Wirral five-year-old Summer Tennant, who is stuck at home during the pandemic with leukemia.

"Summer has been feeling down, she can't understand why she can't go out.

"We turned up with the van, sang a few songs, and the way she was dancing along was just the cutest.

"That is when I knew I needed to do more of this."

Philip's two final wishes for her daughter were to appear on TV and release her own single.

Mandi made an appearance on the BBC's All Together Now earlier this year, and she was able to tell her dad that his other dream would come true shortly before he died.

Mandi's son Lucas jamming with his grandad

"He always wanted me to release a song," said Mandi.

"About a week before he died I told him I had a single coming out.

"He said, 'at least that's something to make me smile'."

To watch Mandi's videos and keep up to date with her, visit facebook.com/mandifishermusic