LA CROSSE, Wis. (WXOW) – Marilyn Zick died from COVID-19 complications on Thursday.
The 71-year-old was vaccinated, but immunocompromised after enduring chemotherapy treatments to survive Leukemia.
On Sunday, Gundersen Health System shared the official word that she died the same day she shared her story with News 19.
Gundersen Health System COVID-19 Registered Nurse Jenni Adamowicz said it’s hard to lose patients like Marilyn who put up a fight against the virus.
“[It’s] sad that we’re here again doing this,” Adamowicz said. “Sad that you can’t take it away from the patients that you get to know over the days and weeks that they’re here. I think sadness covers the biggest emotion that I feel.”
She said oxygen tanks and some medications make dying patients as comfortable as possible, but that the COVID-19 nurses wish they could do more.
They continue to encourage vaccinations because it makes symptoms less severe and more manageable for healthy people.
Gundersen Health System is seeing arrange of 30-35 COVID-19 hospitalizations daily.