On Friday 11th December tributes were paid to a renowned businessman who was being treated for leukaemia but contracted Covid-19 and died fighting the virus.
51-year-old Manit Odedra had allegedly contracted the virus while under treatment at Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital, the Birmingham Mail reported. Father of two children from Sutton Coldfield had reportedly been fighting the virus for three weeks whilst on a ventilator and tragically died last month.
Speaking to Birmingham Mail, his brother Dipesh Odedra said, "It has been such a shock for the whole family. Manit was such a wonderful person and was loved by so many people. He was such a jolly person who always had a smile on his face. He had friends in Kenya, India, Nigeria, as well as here too and they have all been left upset by his death.
"Our family is originally from Kenya and Manit came over to the UK when he was 18 where he studied for a degree in marketing. He later returned to Kenya to run our father's business and then came back to England a few years later. He supported various charities and raised money via swimathons and sponsored walks.
In his memory, Dipesh has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for a charity called UK Seva Samiti. The charity provides food, clothing and blankets to needy families and to children's orphanages in different parts of Gujarat, India. Over £1,700 has been raised already in Manit's memory so far.
Manit is survived by his wife Shital, daughters, 18-year-old Anushka and 17-year-old Dhara, brother Dipesh and sister Agna, as well as his father Batuk and mother Devuben.
