Tributes paid to 'dedicated' healthcare worker who died after contracting coronavirus
Tributes have been paid to a "dedicated" healthcare worker who has died after contracting coronavirus.
40-year-old Julius Sana died on April 27 after spending more than two weeks on a ventilator at the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport.
Mr Sana, from Newport, suffered a cardiac arrest during his 18 days spent on a ventilator, the first of which was his daughter’s fifth birthday.
He had worked as a healthcare support worker at St Peter's Hospital, Newport, and has been described as "an extremely popular member of staff".
He leaves behind a wife, Maricar, and two young children, 11-year-old Marc and 5-year-old Princess.
Mr Sana had worked as an agency healthcare worker for around four years before gaining a permanent role at St Peter's Hospital last August.
He moved to Wales from the Philippines with his sister, Jovelyn Villareal, around 15 years ago.
She explained how she and husband had taken him to hospital after he began experiencing a fever.
“The last thing we did was pray together, then I left him in thehospital because they wouldn’t let us in," she said.
Ms Villareal said she spoke to her brother the following day, who toldher over the phone he had been put on oxygen and antibiotics.
Later that afternoon doctors told her he had deteriorated and had been put on a ventilator.
She said: “When he was intubated it was his daughter’s fifth birthday. Imagine how she will remember it. It was so awful.
“There was no goodbye. We had hoped every day."
Ms Villareal described her brother as "shy", but said "everyone loved him".
"He was a loving son and would call our mother in the Philippines every day," she said.
"His smallest child is crying all the time for him, he was the one whowould take his children to school every day.
Son pays tribute to 'selfless' paramedic who died after catching coronavirus
Tributes paid to 'much-loved' hospital worker who died after contracting coronavirus
A fundraiser page has been set up by a family friend of Mr Sana to support his family.
Belle Alcid, who set up the page, said: "Julius was a blessing to everyone he came across, his love care and sincerity is irreplaceable.
"His passion, dedication and hard work as a healthcare worker is enduring. He was just so hardworking and was absolutely amazing at lookingafter his clients."
A spokeswoman for St Peter's Hospital said: "Julius had been with us for many years and he was a very popular staff member. He will be greatly missed by his colleagues.
"Our deepest sympathies go out to his family who we have offered our support to at this sad time."