WINDSOR, ONT. -- Sheila Yakovishin spent more than 32 years caring for the elderly, as a personal support worker at Berkshire Care Centre.
She passed away December 31st, at the age of 60.
"Sheila was fun loving. She had a great sense of humour. She loved family. Hearing from staff members, they liked working with Sheila. She gave it her all," says her brother, Jim Raper.
She had tested positive for COVID-19.
"I asked her how she was. She said she had a sore throat, bad headache. She said she didn’t have any trouble breathing."
Raper spoke to his sister, the day before her passing.
"It was quite heartbreaking to find out. My sister called me on that morning to say Sheila had passed," says Raper.
Earlier this week, Berkshire’s executive director Erica Hooker released a statement to CTV News saying:
"We do not yet know that official cause of this sudden death, but Sheila was off work having tested positive for COVID-19."
Staff at Berkshire are grieving this loss and we send our thoughts and prayers to Sheila’s family and her friends.
"We will remember her most for the smiles she gave to so many when they needed it."
Raper has created a Go Fund Me Page in memory of his sister, to help establish a scholarship to help potential personal support worker’s reach their dream.
"We wanna make a difference in young peoples lives who are thinking about PSW’s and we wanna start a scholarship," Raper tells CTV Windsor.
To date, over $2,600 has been raised.
"Ontario needs more and they make a big difference working with the most vulnerable population, the elderly."
Raper hopes to raise $10,000.
