A DERRY mother-of-four, who died with Covid-19 shortly after giving birth, will be laid to rest today.
Samantha Willis (née Curran) from Strathfoyle, passed away with the virus in Altnagelvin hospital in the early hours of Friday.
The 35-year-old care worker delivered new baby girl Eviegrace while battling the virus for 16 days in hospital.
She will be laid to rest following Requiem Mass at St Columb's Church in Derry's Waterside on Monday morning.
In a poignant social media post over the weekend, her heartbroken husband Josh said he had lost the love of his life to Covid-19.
"Samantha had put up a strong fight for the last 16 days but in the end just wasn’t enough," he wrote.
"She did her best to come home to her family and beautiful children and shortly after 12 o'clock in the early hours of this morning passed away peacefully in ICU in Altnagelvin Hospital.
"Myself, her mother and two eldest children were by her side. She was in no pain and was comfortable when she slipped away."
Mr Willis said the young mum never got the opportunity to hold her new-born baby daughter in her arms.
He described the Derry woman as "a wonderful, loving and caring person", adding that she had been "our super hero" over the last few weeks.
"She is now our guardian angel and she will remain in our hearts and thoughts for ever more."
The father-of-four also praised the efforts of health workers at Altnagelvin following the tragedy.
"You are all truly wonderful people and I will never forget what you have done for Samantha and our family," he wrote.
The Health and Social Care Board had warned of case of "unvaccinated pregnant women needing ICU care and emergency caesarean sections".
The Department of Health is now advising all pregnant women to get the Covid-19 vaccine at any stage of their pregnancy, with a proactive campaign targetting expectant mothers across the Western Trust following concerns about the uptake.
There was a pop-up walk-in clinic in Derry on August 14 and a similar imitative in Omagh on Wednesday.
A third walk-in clinic specifically aimed at pregnant women, will take place at the Lakeland Forum in Enniskillen on Tuesday.
First dose Pfizer jabs will be administered between 1pm and 4pm, with no appointment necessary.
The death of Samantha Willis came just hours before the department announced it had recorded the highest ever number of cases of Covid in single day.
There were 2,397 cases reported on Friday with the seven-day incidence rate surging west of the Bann - passing 900 per 100,000 people in Derry and Strabane and topping 1,000 per 100,000 people in Fermanagh and Omagh.
Sinn Féin’s Fermanagh and South Tyrone MP Michelle Gildernew, who described the death of Ms Willis as a "devastating tragedy", urged people to get vaccinated.
"Everyone needs to be mindful of keeping each other safe. Keep wearing masks and washing your hands. Get the vaccine."
