The 28-year-old nurse had been serving three people from a family infected by Nipah virus, all of whom who died later. Having served them all night, she developed a fever in the morning which had aggravated soon enough. Knowing that she, too, has been infected by the deadly virus, she insisted to be transferred to an isolated ward where she died.
What makes Lini’s story is extraordinary and heartbreaking is the fact that she foresaw her death and wrote a final letter to her husband, Sajeesh, who works in Bahrain. Before being shifted to the isolated ward, she video called her husband and told her that she wasn’t feeling too well, without informing him the seriousness of her condition. By the time he reached India, Lini passed away.
According to The Week, Lini, second of the three daughters of the late Nanu and Radha of Chembanoda, had been working at the Perambra Taluk Hospital in Kozhikode in Kerala for the past six years. She has two kids, Hrithul and Siddharth, who are now with her mother Radha.
Her last letter to her husband was her telling her husband to take care of the kids.
“Sajeeshetta, am almost on the way. I don’t think I will be able to see you again. Sorry. Please take care of our children. Poor Kunju (term of endearment for their son), please take him to the Gulf with you. Don’t leave them and go like (my) father did. Please. With lots of love… Kisses.”
“I’m Almost On The Way, Will Not See U Again. Take Care Of Children. Pls Don’t Remain Single As Our Dad Did”- Lini Puthussery, 28 Year Old Kerala Nurse, Wrote Letter To Her Husband From ICU Before Succumbing To #NipahVirus. She Got Infected Taking Care Of One Of The Patients.#RIP pic.twitter.com/EjlddgknmQ
— Sir Ravindra Jadeja (@SirJadejaaaa) May 22, 2018
The family did not want neighbours to be scared, and so they consented that she be buried in Kozhikode despite not being allowed to take a final look at her. It is now reported that that the Kerala government will give Rs 10 lakh each to her children and her husband will be given a government job. The families of Nipah Virus victims will be given Rs 5 lakhs.
Nipah is “top of the list” of 10 priority diseases that the World Health Organization has identified as a potential next major outbreak.
Some 60 blood and body fluid samples of suspected cases in Kerala have been sent for confirmation to the National Institute of Virology in the western city of Pune, officials said.
