UK: Tributes paid to child cancer nurse who died from coronavirus

London: Tributes have poured in for a child cancer nurse who died after she contracted coronavirus.
Rebecca Mack, 29, was described as an “accident-prone, stubborn chatterbox” who “helped more people than most will in a lifetime” by her best friend, Sarah Bredin-Kemp.

She wrote on Facebook: “Becca was one of the best friends I’ve ever had. She was a devoted friend, an incredible nurse and a unapologetically imperfect person: She was the most accident-prone, stubborn chatterbox with a bizarre catchphrase and inappropriate joke for every occasion. 
“Her iconic love of leopard print and statement earrings was rivalled only by Pat Butcher herself. 
“She would never take ‘I’m busy, I’m not coming to the pub’ as an answer. She was useless at hiding her emotions: she would just describe things she didn’t like as as ‘interesting’ or ‘alternative’, with an expression of pure loathing.”

Bredin-Kemp added: “She was honest, warm and charismatic. She worked hard and made her family proud every single day.”
Mack, who most recently worked as a 111 operator, previously worked at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle and cared for children suffering from cancer.

Keith Howell, whose daughter Sarah was one of the children looked after by Rebecca, told The Sun: “Becca was a lovely girl always full of smiles and fun during a scary time for the kids having treatment. It’s so scary when it is someone you know. Heaven has just gained a real angel.”

Mack’s colleague Jamie Young added: “Today, the NHS lost an absolutely amazing and beautiful nurse, myself and my colleagues lost the most tremendous clinician. At the age of just 29, she had her entire life ahead of her.”

Her cousin Chrissy Mack said: “So so nice to see so many people saying such lovely things about my cousin.
“The next NHS doorstep clap will certainly have extra meaning to me, these people are literally heroes. Rest In Peace Becca.”

The total number of people who have died in English hospitals after testing positive for coronavirus is 6,483, a rise of 828 on the figure announced on Tuesday, NHS England said today.

The patients were aged between 22 and 103 years old. It added that 46 of the 828 had no known underlying health conditions.