Two members of the Filipino community in Metro Vancouver have died from COVID-19.
Nora Castro was supposed to celebrate her 71st birthday on April 11, but had passed on because of the novel coronavirus.
Castro is a member of the Circulo Pampangueno Association of B.C., of which Christian Cunanan is the leader.
Cunanan in a Facebook post shared the news of Castro’s demise.
Castro is the sister of Carmelita Carreon, who is closely associated with Cunanan.
“For two weeks she battled for her life that made it complicated with her pre-existing medical conditions,” Cunanan said on social media.
Castro previously worked at the Vancouver General Hospital.
“She would have been a frontliner,” Cunanan noted.
Nora during her self quarantine before she was hospitalized
Carreon, for her part, expressed sadness over the death of Castro.
“I’m just very sad for the sudden death of my sister,” Carreon said.
Castro’s remains were to be cremated.
Meanwhile, a GoFundMe campaign has been set up for the family of Warlito Valdez of Richmond.
Valdez, 47, died from the coronavirus.
Valdez was self-isolating on the top floor of his home when his wife found him unresponsive on April 5. Paramedics were unable to resuscitate him.
Valdez worked at Pendleton Home, run by the Richmond Society of Community Living (RSCL).
He became ill with COVID-19 following exposure at a program where he was a frontline essential worker. Valdez will be missed by his wife, Flozier and his daughter, Zeirlet.
Valdez was a tireless provider for his family – working two or three jobs.
The GoFundMe page for Valdez can be found here:
