NHS hero mum knew she was at risk of Covid but still put others first
HEARTBROKEN SON PAYS TRIBUTE AS WORKER DIES FROM VIRUS AT JUST 47
THE son of a Grimsby NHS worker who tragically died after contracting coronavirus said she knew she was at risk but still put everyone else first. Adela Baldwin-White passed away from the virus on Thursday December 3, just two days after the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine was approved. She was 47.
She first tested positive on November 5 and was asymptomatic, but by November 12 she was struggling to breathe.
Her family called 999 and she was rushed to the High Dependency Unit at Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital.
Her treatment seemed to be working and her condition improved, but then she took a sudden turn for the worse.
She was placed on a ventilator in intensive care but sadly passed away.
Her son, Eric Planda, said Adela had underlying health conditions and had even told him what funeral she wanted in case she died of the virus.
He said: “When the pandemic started, we knew she had underlying health problems and that she was at risk of getting it.
“She said - just in case she passed away - she wanted a simple funeral ceremony with friends and family there, before taking her ashes back to the Philippines, so we are going to do that.”
Adela’s family have been left shocked about how her condition quickly deteriorated after showing signs of improvement.
Eric, 25, added: “I just can’t believe it.
“She was taken to the hospital after originally being asymptomatic and was getting better, but out of nowhere her condition worsened. “The doctors still don’t know that much about Covid. It’s a brand new virus that can act unpredictably. “They were ringing specialists when my mum’s condition worsened - they tried everything they could but just couldn’t get any improvements.”
Adela was born in the Philippines and lived all over the world, including in Hong Kong and Cyprus.
It was in Cyprus where she met her husband, Lawrence BaldwinWhite, while she was working as a carer in 2004.
They married a year later and moved to the UK.
In that time, she worked in a number of care homes before starting to work for Navigo in a rehabilitation unit as a mental health nurse, while also working shifts in care homes. It was Adela’s kind and loving nature that made her perfect for the role. Eric said: “She had an infectious personality and used to brighten up every room she walked into.
“Adela put every person before herself and that was just who she was.
“She really enjoyed her job, she is a very caring and kindhearted person.
“All of the staff and patients spoke so highly of her and about how loving she was.
“Another passion of hers was cooking, she loved to cook. The staff at Navigo take it in turns to cook for each other and everyone loved her food.
“She would always do her Thai Green Curry and everyone adored it. “It was just another way she liked to make people happy, seeing people enjoying her cooking.
“She was an entertaining, too, and always wanted to cheer people up if they were down in the dumps. “She was such an intelligent and loving person. She spoke Mandarin, Cypriot Greek, Filipino, and English, and she worked in care roles in Hong Kong and Cyprus before moving here.”
Her family in the Philippines have also been left devastated and started a nine-day prayer for her.
Eric, who is also a nursing assistant for Navigo, said: “My mum has helped out all of her family there. “She has put so many people through university with her hard work, she would do anything for her family. But she would help out anyone who needed it, whether she knew them or not.
“There is a Filipino community here and she was always the first person to introduce herself and help them settle in, or help them find jobs.
“Even when she was in the hospital, she was always on the go and helping people from her hospital bed.”
A co-worker of Adela’s has set up a fundraiser for the family. So far £2,350 has been raised which will go towards her funeral and a memorial. Lawrence, Adela’s husband, is urging people to get the vaccine so they can avoid the same tragedy of losing a loved one.
He said: “I think it’s definitely better than the alternative.
“I know it’s an unknown, but the alternative ... is to have to go through what myself and Eric are having to go through now.”
Navigo said the news was “devastating” and described Adela as a ‘pocket rocket’ and “someone staff could confide in and who was always there for others”.
A spokesman said: “Adela is irreplaceable within our work family and she will be so sadly missed by all who knew her.”
If you would like to donate to Adela’s fundraiser, you can do so on the JustGiving page.