A “dedicated and loving” nurse with coronavirus has died, five weeks after first being placed on a ventilator.
Onyenachi Obasi, 51, had been working as a health visitor and nurse, and her family said she “gave her life doing what she loved”. She was described by her family as an ‘example of unconditional love’. Her niece, Ijeoma Uzoukwu, told: “We are just heartbroken. She was really loving, really sweet and a really cute person.
“She was a good example of unconditional love and just loved everyone. She was so giving and always had an ear — she took people as they were.
“She loved her job, but that is what caused her to fall ill in the first place.” Any normal situation I would go and see her, and be by her side. But because of the lockdown, we weren’t able to do that, and that was really hard for our family.
Obasi was having no underlying health conditions. She was enjoying good health till this pandemic changed things for the world. She was very committed to her work. She felt she had a duty to work, and help, during this pandemic. She was also performing her duty very efficiently and only days after caring for a coronavirus patient, she fell ill herself before eventually being admitted to hospital.
According to her family, during normal days, they were able to see her and help her out in case of any incident. However, this time, when she got herself affected by coronavirus, they were not able to visit her due to severe lockdown. It was hard for the family and Ms Uzoukwu said that they are organising a fundraiser to help pay her aunts funeral.
Moreover, the purpose of fundraise is also to help 19 years old son of Obasi, who is vulnerable and was also dependent on her mom. According to Ms Uzoukwu, while talking about Obasi’s son, she said: ‘He is a really sweet boy, and he has taken after his mum. He is such a nice boy and he is finding it really hard without her.’