More than 100 nurses, doctors, paramedics and NHS workers have now died after contracting coronavirus.
These talented, brave and selfless people never signed up to lose their lives - they signed up to work for our National Health Service because they believed in helping others.
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And yet, as this dangerous disease has swept through our nation, it has taken some of the kindest, brightest and most caring citizens among us.
In Watford, we know of four hospital workers so far who have died and whose deaths are linked to the Covid-19 virus:
John Alagos, 23
Mr Alagos, a nursing assistant at Watford General Hospital, fell ill during a 12-hour shift at Watford General Hospital.
His mother Gina Gustilo said he did not leave work early despite feeling ill, and he complained of suffering a headache and a high temperature during the night shift.
Ms Gustilo later found her son unconscious in his room. He was confirmed dead on April 3.
Sara Trallope, 51
Ms Trallope died at Watford General Hospital on Good Friday after she tested positive for Covid-19.
The mother-of-four worked as the matron on the mental health ward at Hillingdon Hospital, and lived in Carpenders Park.
She has been described by a doctor at the trust she worked for as "an example to every one of us" for her kindness and hard work.
Her daughter Freya described her mum as her “rock and my best friend”.
Khalid Jamil, 57
Mr Jamil was a healthcare assistant working in the Bluebell ward at Watford General Hospital.
He first became ill on April 5. A week later, he was taken into an intensive care unit and died on April 14.
His daughter Sumaiyah told the Observer that Mr Jamil was a “phenomenal father” the “heart of our family”.
Sumaiyah has also recognised all the NHS staff who are "working tirelessly" on the frontline to save lives, describing them as "true heroes".
Wilma Banaag, also known as Ate Wilma
Mrs Bannag served 19 years as a nurse at the Croxley Ward in Watford General Hospital before her death on April 17.
Her friend Maria Socorro Del Rosario said Mrs Banaag was “so hardworking” that she was still working in a Covid-19 ward “up to her last days”.
The West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust have also paid tribute and said she had an “unforgettable and infectious smile”.
Support our NHS Guardian Angels fundraising campaign
Too many NHS heroes have died so far.
Through our campaign Support our NHS Guardian Angels, we are aiming to raise as much money as possible to show those working in the NHS that we care and support them.
The appeal, set up by our newspaper group Newsquest, is running across our network of regional papers across the UK and is raising money for NHS Charities Together’s urgent Covid-19 appeal - the same cause that saw the heroic Captain Thomas Moore raise more than £25million last week.
This week, our campaign has toppled a remarkable £15,700 in under a month.
And today, we ask that you, our valued reader, donate what you can to help the NHS.
We know our readers are generous and care about the NHS so please support those who are risking their lives to keep the rest of us safe.
Please visit our GoFundMe page and make a donation: gofundme.com/f/support-our-nhs-guardian-angels
Every contribution counts, it truly is the sentiment that matters.
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