Husband of Kirsten Beaton, a pregnant frontline healthcare worker in Canada, who was gunned down in the nation’s deadliest mass murder in Nova Scotia, appealed to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to supply adequate PPE to his wife’s fellow workers around the nation citing her dying wish and the PM assured him to do everything in his power to make it come true.

Nick Beaton’s pleas have also drawn support from other Canadian politicians. CNN reports that the Premier of Nova Scotia, Stephen McNeil, said that he was proud of him and that Kristen would have been too. Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds and hockey Olympian Haley Wickenheiser have also vowed to work with charities in order to rush PPE to Nova Scotia, in honor of Kristen.

Nick believed he was obligated to fight for the cause as it would fulfill his wife’s passionate wish for better protection for healthcare workers throughout Canada and beyond. "Kristen just wanted to go to work and be safe just like everyone else," Nick said. "I want to get Kristen's voice heard while people are listening."

Kristen was murdered on her way to work about two weeks ago as a gunman impersonating an officer opened fire indiscriminately. Kristen, like many others, came in line with fire when the gunman targeted some of his previously known victims. A total of 22 people lost their lives in the rampage.

"She was pregnant with my unborn baby," said grieving Nick. "I know in my heart what it would be like if she was here right now, we had the whole week planned out because I was off too. We were going to get the spare room ready for the baby."

Nick said Kristen was always fearful of her life and the fact that she would bring the virus to her little 3-year-old boy, but little did she know she would account for the mass murder victims.

Surgical masks were woefully short in supply in Canada till the day Kristen died. "Kristen up until her last breath only had two surgical masks. Kristen, herself, had two surgical masks a day up until Sunday, that's all she had, nothing changed," Nick said while watching his son Dax play in the yard.

Nick said he was trying to stay strong for his wife and son but some moments were difficult. "I tell you I absolutely lost it this morning at home, I had been holding it together. He's got this old cell phone of ours, he said he was going to pick up the phone and call his Mummy," Nick said, referring to his toddler.

Canada’s elderly residents in care homes have made up nearly half of the country’s coronavirus-related deaths due to the government’s lack of protection, with workers in those facilities grappling with the shortage of PPE. Canada has established its own supply chain in China and has been working to domestically produce the protective gear.

Nick said his plans to host a funeral that his wife deserved were on a pause considering the lockdown that was still in place.

"We're not rushing it, we'll do it classy and the best we can with this whole Covid thing we have going on. I mean we won't have full closure, everything's different, right? We won't have full closure until we have something as a family," he said.

A Muslim woman takes pictures near a sea of floral tributes placed outside the Oslo Cathedral
A Muslim woman takes pictures near a sea of floral tributes placed outside the Oslo Cathedral Reuters
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