An Abbotsford nurse has taken to social media to express the serious nature and consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kendall Skuta, a nurse at Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre, shared a photo on Tuesday on Instagram of what she called her breaking point of the pandemic.

Skuta, a 2013 Rick Hansen Secondary School grad, has been a nurse for four years and also works at the Abbotsford COVID-19 testing site at the University of the Fraser Valley.

The post and photo were from earlier this month after she had just witnessed a COVID-19 patient go into cardiac arrest. CPR was performed on the man for 35 minutes, but he did not survive. Prior to contracting COVID-19 he had no respiratory or cardiac issues. Skuta said the man was under 60 years old.

His wife was contacted with the news, a phone call that Skuta herself has to make many times during the pandemic.

鈥淭he amount of death I鈥檝e seen in the last year weighs on me every day,鈥� she stated in the post. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 count the number of times I鈥檝e ran to a bathroom or an empty stock room to take 5 minutes to cry by myself behind my mask. But after those five minutes, I have to pick myself up and do my job.鈥�

Skuta said for the mental health of herself and her colleagues, she is urging the public to take the virus seriously and follow all public health recommendations.

鈥淧lease, I鈥檓 begging you all,鈥� she added. 鈥淪tay home, wear a mask, and get vaccinated if you鈥檙e eligible. We are all exhausted, and I don鈥檛 know how much more pain my heart can take.鈥�