LOS Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti not too long ago honored a Filipina American registered nurse who died of COVID-19 after popping out of retirement to rejoin the entrance traces as soon as the outbreak hit town.
Throughout his day by day briefing on Friday, Could 22, the mayor spoke about Rosary Celaya Castro-Olega, 63, the primary well being care skilled to succumb to COVID-19 in LA County on March 29.
“Our metropolis has misplaced an angel and we’ll honor Rosary by exhibiting the generosity that she did, by performing to maintain one another protected and wholesome, and sending all of our like to those that are grieving a misplaced one,” Garcetti mentioned.
The mayor’s tribute got here as Castro-Olega was cremated and laid to relaxation earlier that morning.
“I didn’t understand how many individuals had been watching the mayor’s speech as a result of household and pals texted me and mentioned they noticed it and thought it was a wonderful tribute,” her eldest daughter, Tiffany Olega, informed the Asian Journal. “Although it was a coincidence, it felt like all people was there on the similar time as a result of it was my mother’s cremation day. We had been capable of put her to relaxation and grieve.”
Along with Tiffany, Castro-Olega is survived by her husband Mario, twin daughters Tatiana and Trisha, two brothers and three sisters, together with her twin sister Rosalie, who continues to be a practising nurse.
“Although it’s been two months, it’s exhausting for my household and my mother’s twin, particularly. They’ve been hooked up to the hip and now my aunt needs to be on her personal and he or she’s been making an attempt to care for us too,” Tiffany mentioned.
Castro-Olega was born in Los Angeles on October 7, 1956 to folks Jesusa and Pascal Castro. She earned a bachelor of science diploma in nursing from the College of San Francisco in 1978 and returned to her hometown, the place she landed a job as a registered nurse at Cedars-Sinai Medical Middle.
She labored there, primarily within the med-surg unit, for 37 years till her retirement in 2017.
After hanging up her scrubs, Castro-Olega devoted her time to household and to journey internationally. Although, she might by no means escape the nursing career and nonetheless lent a hand wherever wanted.
In mid-March, she had booked a cruise but it surely was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. As a substitute of staying at dwelling, she stepped as much as assist native hospitals that had been short-staffed.
By the tip of that week, the nurse went to the emergency room after growing a fever and cough and examined optimistic for COVID-19, in response to her daughter.
Tiffany acquired a textual content days later that her mom was going to be intubated on the intensive care unit at Panorama Metropolis Medical Middle.
On the similar time, Castro-Olega’s 27-year-old twin daughters, Tatiana and Trisha, additionally fell sick and spent two days within the hospital however had been discharged as a result of extra critically sick sufferers had been being given precedence.
“I used to be fairly scared that I used to be going to lose all three of them,” Tiffany mentioned. She pushed for her sisters to be re-admitted and handled since they had been nonetheless experiencing extreme signs.
She added, “Thirty minutes after they had been discharged [on Sunday], that’s when my mother handed away, regardless that medical doctors informed me she was purported to go away on Friday night time.”
Two days after Castro-Olega’s loss of life, the LA County Division of Public Well being publicly introduced it as the primary recognized COVID-19 fatality of a well being care employee within the area.
So far, 30 well being care employees within the county have died from the viral illness with 52% being nurses.
Regardless of the 12-hour shifts, Castro-Olega by no means missed a celebration or vacation celebration, the place she might exhibit her dance strikes. One time, she drove to Nevada for a birthday celebration and got here again dwelling the following day.
“She loved life just about doing no matter made her comfortable,” Tiffany mentioned. “She made time so she may very well be at the whole lot.”
Usually wearing purple apparel, Castro-Olega was a “tremendous fan” of the LA Lakers, particularly Kobe Bryant, and was a “daredevil” who loved the joys of driving rollercoasters, because the mayor talked about in his remarks.
“Her home is full of Kobe Bryant stuff and he or she even spent enormous cash to go to his final recreation,” Tiffany added. “She went to the primary Lakers recreation after he handed away and went to the memorial that followers made outdoors of Staples Middle.”
The household arrange a GoFundMe web page in Castro-Olega’s honor and was stunned to see $8,000 had been contributed by pals and colleagues.
“She was greater than a nurse. She was greater than a mother to me and my sisters. She was just about a mother to everybody, whether or not it was to her personal sisters, brothers, or my pals, and took the time to exit and care for all people else earlier than herself,” Tiffany mentioned.
