Cheryl Baxter, ward matron on Baird Ward, had been travelling with her husband Ivon before the coronavirus pandemic hit the UK. They flew out on March 2 and were due to fly back home on Sunday (March 22) from Cambodia to Bangkok then onward to Heathrow. But when they arrived at the airport in Cambodia, they were told they were not allowed to fly, as they would require a fit to fly medical certificate. The couple then got a certificate, costing them $80, but their second booked flight was cancelled, leaving them stranded. Cheryl then posted an emotional video on her Facebook page highlighting their situation. She said: “We were told on the first cancellation on Sunday that we did not have the medical certificates required to enter Bangkok, explaining that we did not have the Covid-19 virus.” Cheryl said in her video that she had run out of her medication and that money was ‘dwindling fast’. They also feared Bangkok airport would close, leaving them unable to get home. A fundraising campaign was then quickly set up by Cheryl’s colleague, Cherie Pierce, to help get her home. The target of £1,000 was quickly raised through donations to be used for flights and accommodation. On the Gofundme page, Cherie said: “Cheryl and Ivon have now returned home safely. “We cannot thank everybody enough with the support shown through a very tough 48 hours for Cheryl and Ivon, who had to face the fear and distress which was caused. “We reached our target, of which we are extremely grateful for. “Cheryl and Ivon will now do what they do best and return to work as frontline/key workers for our country. “We have reached our target, got them home quickly and safely. No more donations are required, this campaign has had a positive effect and we are hoping that by what we have managed to do many others stranded will get home safely too. “Thank you for your kindness, thoughts and prayers.” A message from the Editor, Gary Shipton: Thank you for reading this story on our website. But I also have an urgent plea to make of you. In order for us to continue to provide high quality local news on this free-to-read site and in print, please purchase a copy of our newspaper as well. With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on our town centres and many of our valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you buying a copy. Our journalists are highly trained by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards anywhere in the world. Our content is universally trusted - as all independent research proves. As Baroness Barran said in a House of Lords debate this week on the importance of journalists: “Not only are they a trusted source of facts, but they will have a role to play in rallying communities and getting the message across about how we can keep ourselves and our families safe, and protect our NHS. Undoubtedly, they have a critical role.” But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis. In return we will continue to forensically cover the local news - not only the impact of the virus but all the positive and uplifting news happening in these dark days. We thank all our readers and advertisers for their understanding and support - and we wish YOU all the best in the coming weeks. Keep safe, and follow the Government advice. Thank you.