The Story of Sunita: Nurse, Mother, COVID Warrior

Sunita Chaudhary has been a nurse for 25 years. She started working after her husband had an accident and was bedridden. With her nursing degree in hand and grit to provide for her family, she got a job at a government hospital.

“At a very early age, my children learnt to look after themselves when I wasn't around.”

After 20 years at the hospital, Sunita got promoted to senior nursing staff. Through the years, she's seen it all-- swine flu, dengue, diphtheria; and her family has been her strongest supporter.

But for the first time during Covid-19, her daughter didn't want her to go to work.

“Why can't you just move to another department?”, she pleaded.

Sunita could see the fear in her daughter's eyes, the fear of losing her mother. But Sunita was adamant to fulfil her oath, just like others on the frontlines. For her, the hospital is as much her home and her patients, her children. Even on bad days, when her patients would complain about feeling miserable and being trapped in a hospital, she knew that the only way to help them was through love and care. She turned up to work every day, to get through it together. And now, as they gradually get better, her patients often say – “Thank you so much, Nurse Madam!”.

When the pandemic began, Sunita was scared to go back home and put her family at risk. Even if she wanted to hug her kids after a long day, she kept her distance, for their sake. But everyone at home came together to support ‘mom’. Every night, her daughter would stand at the door, sanitiser in hand. She would keep the geyser on for a hot shower and her husband would bring her dinner.

Sunita is proud of how they've banded together to make work easy for her. Inspired by her mother, Sunita's daughter is pursuing a PhD in Psychology.

“It's been hard to let mom go to work every day, knowing that she could get infected too. But I've learnt from her to be selfless and help others. I'm just so proud to be Sunita Chaudhary's daughter!”.

This Mother’s Day, we celebrate the challenger spirit of women and mothers like Sunita, who have stepped up to help others, putting the country’s needs before everything else, even themselves.

We salute you!