A POIGNANT photograph of a Powys councillor with two nurses taken after he had successfully fought off coronavirus has now been seen by thousands of people.

William Powell, who represents the Welsh Liberal Democrats on Powys County Council, spent six weeks in Abergavenny’s Nevill Hall Hospital with coronavirus.

After spending three weeks in intensive care and another three weeks in a rehabilitation ward, Cllr Powell met with some of the nurses who helped save his life and took several photographs.

One particular photograph, which featured in the Brecon and Radnor Express, is now being displayed in St David’s Shopping Centre in Cardiff for all to see.

It shows 54-year-old Cllr Powell with nurses Andrea Edwards and Ceri Gregory shortly before he was discharged from hospital.

The photograph can be seen flashing up on the shopping centre’s many advertising boards and forms part of a ‘Rainbows for the NHS’ mural.

Cllr Powell, a former Assembly Member, visited the shopping centre recently to see his photograph being displayed.

The Talgarth councillor said: “It was a great surprise and an honour to be contacted by Helen Marshall, the artist who is the inspiration behind ‘Rainbows for the NHS.’

“I certainly hadn’t ever contemplated a career in modelling and think I very much have a ‘face for radio!’

“However, this photograph sums up my own immense sense of gratitude to the Welsh NHS and specifically to the superb care of clinicians, nurses, support workers and physios at Nevill Hall Hospital, which enabled me to survive Covid-19, through ICU and Rehabilitation.

“As captured in my tweet in the photo itself, the photograph was taken minutes before I left Gilwern Ward on Thursday, May 7 after my six weeks in hospital.”

Cllr Powell added: “The real stars are Deputy Manager of Gilwern Ward, Andrea Edwards to my left and Nurse Ceri Gregory to my right.”

“The whole ‘Rainbows for the NHS’ project was conceived to celebrate the 72nd birthday of the NHS this year and the photo mosaic was featured at Piccadilly Circus and at locations throughout the UK.

“It is perhaps particularly appropriate that whoever nominated our photograph has chosen to celebrate the work of the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board, named after Nye Bevan, founder of our NHS. “Many of those who cared for me were from Tredegar, Ebbw Vale and the other Blaenau Gwent communities that he knew best.

“I have had a number of messages on Facebook and Twitter in the last ten days, from friends who were surprised to see me as a rather unlikely poster boy of the Rainbows for the NHS campaign.

“When I saw the whole display on the ground floor of St Davids Centre, I have to admit to being more than a little choked up.

“Such is the gratitude that I feel for the care and kindness I received from the Welsh NHS.”