A hospital in the United Kingdom is mourning the death of a “much loved” Filipina nurse, whose husband is from Negros Occidental.
The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital announced on its website that it loss its Emergency Department nurse Estrella Bersamen Catalan, 52, one of its much loved staff members, to COVID-19 on Friday, February 5.
Catalan, who is from Candijay, Bohol, was married to Melvin Catalan, an engineer from La Carlota City, Negros Occidental.
The hospital statement said she had been receiving treatment in the hospital’s Critical Care Complex, when she passed away.
Sam Higginson, NNUH chief executive, said: “She was a wonderful person and a caring and conscientious nurse, who loved to teach and mentor students…she will be terribly missed.”
“We know this will be a huge shock to our staff and over the coming days and weeks we will formulate a fitting memorial to Estrella in collaboration with her family, friends and colleagues,” Higginson added.
David White, NNUH chaiman, said: “On behalf of the board, I would like to offer our deepest sympathies to Estrella’s family, friends and colleagues at this very sad time. Every Covid-19 death is a tragedy and to lose one of our own is even more poignant. Our thoughts are with all her colleagues and the NNUH staff who did their very best for Estrella.”
Catalan, in a March 19, 2020, post on her Facebook page wrote: “I join the war against this virus COVID-19, along with my colleagues as a frontliner, a noble profession that I had chose since I was young.
“I am obliged to work and face the reality. My only weapon is that I am a believer; Prayer is my key to survive.”
She said the pandemic is not only a trial but a time to reflect on ourselves. “I sincerely hope and pray for the safety of my colleagues, friends, family, relatives around the world and for those who are infected/affected, May God heal them spiritually and God bless us all”.
According to a GoFundMe page Catalan fought with all her strength and will, doing all she could to get back to her beloved husband Melvin and their sons John and Josh.
“Estrella promised her family, ‘I will be back’ when she was taken to the hospital a few weeks ago. Sadly, a promise that she could no longer physically keep after succumbing to such devastating effects of this virus,” the page said.
The whole Filipino community, friends and work colleagues in Norwich are profoundly saddened and shocked, it added.
To her colleagues, she was the most caring, conscientious and hardworking person a department could ask for. “She puts the needs of others first before her own. 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 to help patients and colleagues throughout this pandemic,” it said.*