Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Evening Standard
Evening Standard
National
Jacob Jarvis

Tributes paid to Marie Curie nurse, 68, who died after contracting coronavirus

A 68-year-old Marie Curie nurse from south London who died after contracting coronavirus has been remembered as "a beautiful person".

Barbara Sage, from Bromley, died in intensive care last Sunday after spending more than 40 years working in palliative care.

She was a Marie Curie nurse for 14 years and provided vital care and support on the front line to dying patients in the community.

Matthew Reed, chief executive of Marie Curie, told BBC Breakfast: “Barbara was a beautiful person. She was kind, generous, giving, fun.

“Mother, of course, grandmother, aunt, partner, and our hearts just go out to her family and those who loved her the most.

“This is a tragic loss of a member of the Marie Curie family as well, and has hit the whole Mary Curie family really hard this week.

“It’s a very, very, very special kind of person who becomes a Mary Curie nurse or doctor. These people, every day and every night, being with families who are experiencing the loss of a loved one.

“Sitting with people who are dying, caring for them, loving them, holding their hand, holding their hand physically, caring for them, but also holding their hand emotionally, and after people have breathed their last, being there to hold the family and to care for them as well.

“Barbara had an absolute passion for this work."

He said it is not known whether Ms Sage contracted Covid-19 in the course of her work.

It comes amid growing concerns for caregivers working on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic, with fears of thousands of deaths in care homes and worries over protective equipment.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.