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18 N A T I O N A L N U R S E 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 A P R I L | M AY | J U N E 2 0 2 1 L osing even one registered nurse impacts countless lives. Losing more than 400 of them to Covid-19—many of them mothers, in our women-dominated profession—changes families and communities across the country forever. This Mother's Day, the children of three RN mothers who died of Covid-19 took a look back at their moms' incredible contributions to the world, and spoke out for nurse protections so no more families have to stand in their shoes. "One is too many" Rebecca Gbodi and her mother Helen, a registered nurse in the ICU at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C, were always connected, even when they were apart. "I would literally call her 20 times a day," said Rebecca. "Some of my favorite moments were the conversations we would have, whether it was deep or just joking." On a mother-daughter call in the spring of 2020, as a new virus spread through their community, Helen asked for the phone number of Rebecca's friend, so she could talk to her parents. It turned out Helen was taking the time to call every single person she knew, to check up on them and make sure they had advice from a registered nurse to take this new virus seriously. In a world that can often seem uncaring, Helen embodied the way things could be. "No matter what, she would help," said Rebecca. Helen Gbodi died of Covid-19 on April 19, 2020, at the same hos- pital where she had worked for 16 years. This Mother's Day weekend, Rebecca and her sisters Ranti, 28 and Angel, 12, will gather with family and friends to hold a memorial for their mom. It's a "double celebration," with simultaneous gatherings in the United States and in Nigeria, where her mother was raised. Helen was already a registered nurse when she immigrated to the United States in 1998 and settled in Washington, D.C with her eldest, Ranti. In addition to caring for her daughters and working full time, Helen ran the church food bank, headed up the church health depart- ment, and helped care for her granddaughters, Naliyah and Neveah. "After she passed, I got to hear about all the good she has done for people," said Rebecca, reflecting on the time her mother, who had her own bills, helped a family member pay off their student loans. She was the kind of person who would take a community member to the grocery store and appointments, "just to make sure they were okay." Rebecca said it breaks her heart to know that when Covid struck, the hospital did not make sure her mother was cared for, in return. "I remember Facetiming her one day, and she just looked so upset. I think she only had a [surgical] mask and gloves and not the shield or anything. She was so upset that they were not protecting nurses," she said. "These nurses are putting their lives on the line to help save other people's lives. Protecting them is not something that should On Mothers' Day, the children of nurses lost to Covid-19 reflect on love, grief, the fight for change. By Kari Jones Survived By Regina Yumang, RN Helen Gbodi, RN