Transcendients: Memorial to Healthcare Workers
Died 02 May 2020
KRIST ANGIELEN CASTRO GUZMAN
RACE/ETHNICITY Asian/Pacific Islander
OCCUPATION Licensed practical nurse
LOCATION Bolingbrook, IL
AGE 35
CONCERNS ABOUT ADEQUATE PPE? Yes
Young nurse lived a life of ‘no regrets’
Krist Guzman packed a lot into her short life. She worked full time while studying to become a registered nurse. She had three children, including a newborn. Smart, funny and outgoing, she nurtured relationships. “Hers was a life of no regrets,” said a cousin, Jeschelyn Pilar.
In a navy family that moved often, she was close to her brother, Anjo Castro. “She was my role model,” said Castro, who also pursued a medical career as an independent duty corpsman in the navy.
The pandemic hit home when their uncle, pediatric surgeon Dr. Leandro Resurreccion III, died on 31 March. Guzman told family she had seen patients with Covid-19. Worried she didn’t have adequate protective gear, she scrambled to find some online.
Meadowbrook has registered the worst Covid-19 outbreak in Illinois, with more than three dozen deaths. A representative for the nursing home said in a statement: “Meadowbrook puts the safety and welfare of its residents and staff at the forefront of everything we do.” She did not address whether there was sufficient protective gear.
– Mary Chris Jaklevic