Posted 09 February 2021 - 17:26
Posted 09 February 2021 - 17:26
News
Nurse who died of COVID-19 had longed to return to work and support colleagues
‘Caring and conscientious’ Estrella Catalan said ‘I want to help’ from her hospital bed
‘Caring and conscientious’ Estrella Catalan had said ‘I want to help’ from her hospital bed
A nurse with COVID-19 who expressed her wish to return to work and help others has died.
Staff nurse Estrella Catalan, 52, originally from the Philippines, died on 6 February at Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, where she had worked for 18 years.
In January, Ms Catalan was interviewed by the BBC from her hospital bed, where she talked of her desire to return to work and support colleagues and patients.
‘I want to help, but I don’t know when,’ she said.
‘I don’t mind working and even doing extra shifts to help, but I’m here as a patient. I’m helpless.’
Trust chief remembers Ms Catalan’s dedication to nursing
Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust chief executive Sam Higginson paid tribute to Ms Catalan.
‘She was a wonderful person and a caring and conscientious nurse, who loved to teach and mentor students. She will be terribly missed,’ he said.
‘This is a heartbreaking reminder of the situation we are facing every day, and we want to thank our staff for their ongoing courage and commitment during the pandemic.’
Two fundraising pages have been set up for Ms Catalan’s family: her husband Melvin, and children John and Josh.
A message on the Gofundme page reads: ‘Her selflessness and dedication carried on even when she was on her hospital bed, she still thought and talked about when she could go back to work.’
High cost of COVID-19 for healthcare staff
Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics show that more than 250 nurses and healthcare assistants have died of COVID-19 in England and Wales since the start of the pandemic.
Donate to fundraising pages for Estrella Catalan’s family
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