Filipina nurse on Miami front lines dies from coronavirus

ICU nurse Araceli Buendia Ilagan was helping Jackson Health System patients infected by COVID-19 in Miami, Florida when she got infected and died soon after. FACEBOOK

MIAMI — A Filipina intensive care unit nurse died from COVID-19 after working on the front lines helping patients infected by the deadly virus.

Araceli Buendia Ilagan, 63, came down with the illness while working in the intensive care unit at Jackson Memorial Hospital, news station WSVN reported.

The Jackson Health System, which runs the hospital, mournfully confirmed Saturday that she “recently died from complications of COVID-19.”

Her brother, Roy Buendia, mourned her death Saturday in a Facebook post, saying she was on the front lines in the coronavirus battle.

“She was nursing those patients with [coronavirus] in their hospital and unfortunately contracted [it] and became unwell,” he wrote.

Ilagan worked at Jackson for 33 years. She last worked at Jackson on Tuesday, March 24, when she reportedly began showing symptoms.

Martha Baker, the head of the union that represents 5,000 Jackson doctors and nurses and other staffers was a friend of Araceli and had known her for years.

“Celi was one of our finest! She will be missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends at this very sad time. The richest country on earth can do better than this!” Baker said.