Dr. Helen Tudtud

Frontliners across the country have put themselves at great risk to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Helen Tudtud was among those who have succumbed to the disease. She was a pathologist at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC).

Dr. Tudtud is remembered by her son, Dennis Thomas, as “mother who is very charming, funny and nice to everyone she meets.”

Her daughter Debbie also remembered how she “would watch all sorts of shows on TV…Grey’s Anatomy, Designated Survivor, Crash Landing on You, Blacklist, Jack Ryan to name a few…she even watched all the seasons of Downton Abbey plus the movie—not necessarily because she loved it, but because she knew I did.”

However, when she was still struggling with the disease, Dr. Helen and her family became the subject of rumors on social media regarding her condition.

“But even before my mom passed away, rumors were already circulating that my mom has died, as early as March 18!! Some heartless people even posted it all over social media. My mother was still fighting to stay alive but people were already killing her! Do you know how painful it is to have both parents admitted and both in serious and guarded condition and yet you hear news saying that our mother has already died, when she is still holding on and fighting to stay alive? We understand the fear. We understand the panic. But do these heartless people not understand how much more fear and panic that we are in? Then came the police cordoning our entire compound. What for? We never breached the quarantine protocol! People treat us like some STATISTICS they see on Facebook or on the news. We are PEOPLE, too! It can happen to you and your family too,” Dennis Thomas said on a Facebook post.

“Life just got a lot less vibrant and desaturated without her… I miss my mommy,” added Debbie.

According to the Department of Health’s COVID-19 case tracker, there have been 2,633 cases with 107 deaths and 51 recoveries on April 2, 4:00 pm. As of this writing, a nurse and 17 physicians have succumbed to the disease.