A doctor missed out on the first three months of his new baby's life and lived apart from his family to keep them safe while he cared for Covid patients.
As a respiratory consultant at Manchester Royal Infirmary, Haider Al-Najjar has spent the year treating some of the most seriously ill coronavirus patients.
When the pandemic first hit, many medics took the decision to live apart from their families, often for months at a time, to minimise the risk of passing the virus on to them.
Haider was among those who sacrificed time with his family so he could dedicate himself to Covid patients, first living in a hotel, and later alone at the family home in Hale for months on end.
He was able to spend just a few days with his youngest child after he was born in April, before his wife Rasha Al-Talib and their three children went away to stay with her parents and he went back to work.
Even when he himself fell ill with Covid, he declined Rasha's offer to come home to care for him, to avoid passing the virus on.
Now Rasha has nominated Haider as one of our Covid Heroes.
The M.E.N. has teamed up with Amazon to highlight the people in our communities who have gone above and beyond during the pandemic, and over the next month we will be telling their stories.
Rasha has spoken to the M.E.N. to celebrate her husband, the 'brilliant' NHS and all key workers who put themselves at risk to carry on working this year.
Describing the early days of the pandemic, Rasha said: "The respiratory consultants were dealing with Covid patients, I was pregnant so he was really worried.
"At the time, we still didn't know the effects of Covid on pregnant women, so for a few weeks, he was just really careful."
As the situation worsened, the couple decided the risks were too great, so Haider went to stay in Hotel Football, which opened its doors to healthcare professionals who didn't want to put their families at risk, free of charge.
Two weeks before Rasha gave birth, Haider moved back and worked from home, carrying out remote clinics during the day and doing paperwork and administration through the night.
All the while, he was being a supportive husband to Rasha, then heavily pregnant, and looking after their eldest children Maha, 7 and Ali, 5, who were being home schooled at the time.
When baby Kareem was born at the end of April, Haider was able to see him for an hour in hospital.
After a few days together at home, he went back to work, and Rasha and the children went to stay with her parents.
Because her dad has a lung condition, Haider decided not to see the family, even outside, to avoid any risk of transmitting the virus on to them.
Rasha added: "We went to stay with my parents, he didn't see the baby for three months.
"He didn't see his first smile, he didn't see his first roll, we have missed a lot of things. It was all through Facetime.
"It was really difficult. Even during Eid, he was on his own. He got ill at Eid and he was unwell for three weeks.
"I did say let me come back, but he wouldn't do it.
"He was on his own for three months to keep us safe and carry on working, he didn't have to do that but he was always doing the best for his patients.
"He's always been like that - he took an oath to help his patients."
Haider now has antibodies to the virus, and after so much time apart, the family are now back together under one roof.
Rasha added: "It's been a horrible year but it has made us step back and appreciate things, appreciate your family, appreciate each other.
"The clapping that happened on Thursday nights was so beautiful, you could see the neighbours looking towards our house, knowing Haider is a doctor.
"The kids were so proud, it's the first time they really realised 'my dad is really helping people'.
"It has been a horrible year but it has brought out the best in people.
"I'm proud of everyone. The health workers, all key workers. It's not just the NHS. There's lots of other people, people in shops, who have carried on working.
"People say the NHS is brilliant, and they really are, the sacrifices they have made.
"This is just one person, but there are many people who have done similar things".
