Lily read around 100 messages from friends and family to a male patient the night before he died (Credit: BHRUT)
Lily Vieria moved to the UK eight years ago and has been working in intensive care to treat very ill patients throughout the crisis.
She has shared her experiences with the biggest newspaper in her hometown Madeira and has since been contacted by old friends, her country’s nursing council and the Portuguese government.
“I’m amazed so many people have reached out to me and have been so kind,” said Lily. “Many people have said how the end of the article made them cry.
“I was asked about my most difficult experience during the pandemic and shared how I was helping to care for a male patient who was deteriorating on my night shift.
“He had two daughters who I knew were very important to him and was clearly very popular as he’d received around 100 messages.
“While he was in a coma I read the messages to him and put up pictures of his family. I called his wife to let her know how he was and she was so grateful for what I’d done.
“I left feeling proud and that this was what nursing was all about. I was devastated to hear that he died the next day – especially as that was his younger daughter’s birthday.”
A newspaper in Madeira (Credit: BHRUT)
Lily said she is very proud of how her hometown dealt with the pandemic as well.
She added: “Madeira is a small island which relies heavily on tourism, it’s also very focused on wellbeing and community.
“They were very cautious with self-isolation and lockdown and were very good at protecting people.”
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Tags: Romford, Havering, Queen's Hospital, Coronavirus, Covid-19
