Celia Yap Banago – a Registered Nurse at Research Medical Center, Kansas City, Missouri – passed away on 21 April, 2020, due to COVID-19. Celia was 65 years old.
Celia Yap Banago, a registered nurse who had worked at Research Medical Center for more than 40 years, died after caring for a COVID-19 patient, according to the National Nurses United union.
“It’s horrible to find out that she didn’t make it,” says Charlene Carter, a registered nurse who worked at Research with Banago for seven years.
She was scheduled to retire next week. Carter says that she and Banago in late March treated a patient who was later found to have COVID-19. She says they treated the patient without N95 masks or any of the specialized protective equipment typically used when treating COVID-19 patients in intensive care units and other facilities.
“I just feel like things may have gone differently had we had the proper protective equipment that we needed to care for our patient that night,” Carter says.
Carter remembers Banago as a five-foot “fireball,” who taught her to speak out on behalf of patients.
“She was so funny,” Carter says. “She always had a way to make us laugh.”
National Nurses United held a candlelight vigil to honor Banago on April 23 at 8 p.m. at Research Medical Center.
Source: Kcur 89.3