Premier calls NB health care worker who died a hero on the frontlines

St. Mother Teresa Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, a small informal group in the Battlefords, organized the GoFundMe page to support Thomas’ family and the funeral costs. As of Feb. 19, more than $92,000 has been raised.

Organizers on the GoFundMe page said Thomas will be cremated and his ashes will be taken to India when it is safe to travel.

Thomas leaves behind his wife, Merin George, and their 18-month old daughter.

Antony Mathew is a close friend of Thomas, and has known him since he came to Canada from Ponkunnam, Kerala, India, in 2016.

“It’s really hard to accept,” Mathew said. “It’s very shocking news. We feel very sad; it’s an unexpected time.”

He describes Thomas as a caring father, dedicated worker and active in the community.

“He was a talented singer and sung in the church choir. He was always a pleasant guy and hard working,” Mathew said.

Thomas, who worked as a continuing care assistant at Saskatchewan Hospital North Battleford, had plans to continue training to eventually become a nurse in Canada, as he had been in his home country previously.

Mathew said Thomas’ wife is “still in shock,” from Thomas’ sudden passing.

“The main concern is we don’t know how this death happened,” Mathew said.

Mathew said Thomas first went to the hospital in North Battleford with chest pain radiating to his left arm.

He said Thomas had been self-isolating at home after testing positive for COVID-19 when he felt a pain in his chest. He said Thomas suffered a cardiac arrest at the hospital ER.

CUPE Local 5430 issued a statement expressing their condolences for Thomas’ passing.

“The CUPE membership is heartbroken by the loss of our brother Tom Thomas,” the organization wrote. “It’s devastating that a dedicated father and husband was taken from us at such a young age. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends around the world who are mourning his passing. In memory of Tom, we are offering continuing gratitude to the many CUPE frontline workers, in every sector and in every region of our province who are still putting their lives on the line and going to work every day.”

As indicated on the GoFundMe page, Thomas’ body was taken to Saskatoon for further investigation, due to the sudden nature of his passing.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) said in a statement Friday it is “investigating the death of one health care worker. To date, we have not had any confirmed COVID-19 deaths among health care workers.”

The SHA said earlier it offers its condolences to the family, friends, and co-workers of a staff member who died Feb. 15 in North Battleford.

Due to patient confidentiality and out of respect for the family, the SHA said they would not be providing any further details.

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angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW

by Angela Brown

Premier calls NB health care worker who died a hero on the frontlines

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