Issue link: https://nnumagazine.uberflip.com/i/1323544
O C T O B E R | N O V E M B E R | D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 0 W W W . N A T I O N A L N U R S E S U N I T E D . O R G N A T I O N A L N U R S E 23 S ince the pandemic began, National Nurses United has been tracking the nationwide deaths of registered nurses and other health care workers because our federal, state, and local governments—and our employers—weren't doing so. We are grieved to report that, as of press time, we have recorded 277 RN deaths, 14 of which have been NNU members. We will continue to write obituaries honoring our members as soon as enough infor- mation becomes available, and continue to fight for the day when there are no new names to report. Mona Rivera, RN mona rivera, rn was a pediatric nurse at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center and died of Covid-19 on Dec. 15. She passed very close to press time, so we plan to profile her in an upcoming issue. Maribel Tabanguil-May, RN maribel tabanguil-may, rn worked at Ascension Borgess Hospi- tal and died on Nov. 2. She was a member of NNU affiliate, the Michigan Nurses Association. We plan to profile her in an upcoming issue. Nancy Veto, RN registered nurse nancy veto was well known for her stylish demeanor and her warm heart to colleagues who saw her as a men- tor as well as part of their family. Veto, 65, a longtime ICU registered nurse at Community First Medical Center in Chicago, passed away on May 26 due to complica- tions of Covid-19. Veto was a resident of River Grove, Ill. "She was always funny and made people smile," said Kathy Haff, RN, a former colleague. "She was also a mentor to a lot of people—she was working there for so long that a lot of people were taught by her." Hospital colleagues like Haff described Veto as someone who had a passion for the care of patients, a job she held at the hospital for more than 40 years. Veto was also known for her signature colorful hair, as well as making sure to have a fashionable edge. "She would always have on her makeup," Haff added. Veto also loved daughter Giavanna Veto, whom Haff said she was "always crazy about." Giavanna Veto told the Chicago Tribune that her mother had refused to quit even as conditions worsened, with forced reuse of personal protective equipment (PPE) at the hospital during the springtime surge. Asked whether she would quit, Giavanna Veto told the news- paper that her mother told her: "'I can't. I can't. I've gone through so much already. Why would I stop now? I can't give up on these people.'" Haff said in early December that Veto's death remains a tough conversation among many nurses at the hospital. "It's a family here and she was a big part of that," Haff said. "Her death shook us all when it happened and we never imagined that it would happen to her." —Ty Richardson In Memoriam Honoring our NNU members who died on the front lines of Covid-19 Nancy Veto, RN