Dora Cadavid, the unforgettable 'Inesita' in 'Betty, la fea', ended her days in a nursing home because she did not want to be a "burden"

The success of the Colombian telenovela ‘Yo soy Betty, la fea’ has transcended from generation to generation, has been broadcast several times by the RCN channel and is part of the catalog of productions offered by Netflix.

Its iconic characters managed to stand out thanks to its funny characteristics and are still remembered by many people, despite the fact that it premiered for the first time on Colombian television more than 20 years ago.

Dora Cadavid is one of the most remembered and beloved actresses after she gave life to ‘Inesita’; who was the seamstress in the workshop of ‘Hugo Lombardi’ in the telenovela by Fernando Gaitán.

After the success of ‘Yo soy Betty, la fea’, Cadavid had several roles in different Colombian television productions, such as ‘No one lives here’ or ‘I’m going to teach you to love’.

Photo: RCN Television.

Dora Cadavid walked away from the screen in 2017

Her acting career lasted until 2017 and since then viewers have not heard from her; until her family confirmed her death on January 31, 2022.

The news generated great sadness in the artistic world, since Dora Cadavid had become an icon of national television for the remembered roles she played throughout her life.

Cadavid’s career began in the middle of the 20th century where she stood out as an announcer on a station in Antioquia. After a few years, she arrived in Bogotá where she began her career in the acting world, playing her first roles in plays.

In 1954 he appeared in his first novel called ‘Espectros’ and since then he has participated in more than 40 productions such as ‘Rasputin’, ‘Señora Bonita’, ‘Romeo y buseta’, ‘Café con aroma de mujer’ and ‘Yo soy Betty, la ugly’; where she made her most beloved and remembered character by viewers.

Dora Cadavid went to live in a nursing home after the death of her son

Dora Cadavid with Estefanía Gómez, Luces Velásquez and Marcela Posada. Photo: Instagram/ marcelaposada10

After the death of her son, also an actor Moisés Cadavid, Dora was under the care of her nieces and daughter-in-law; however, she felt that she would eventually become a burden to them.

“We were living in La Calera and then we began to travel throughout Colombia and when we reached a final destination, I think it was Cúcuta, I told them that I no longer wanted to continue traveling. My nieces were very worried that I lived alone. You know that one with age should not be alone anywhere and I do not want to be a burden to anyone “; she told the actress a while ago during an interview with Channel 1.

“Then they, very intelligently, looked for a place where I would be comfortable and here they found me. I cannot sacrifice her life to a daughter-in-law and a granddaughter with me”, added Dora.

You may also be interested in: Television is in mourning: Dora Cadavid, ‘Inesita’ in ‘Betty, la fea’, died at the age of 84

Since then, the emblematic Colombian actress spent her days in a nursing home where she assured that she felt happy and cared for.

Dora Cadavid with the Colombian presenter Iván Lalinde. Photo: Instagram/ marcelaposada10

Cadavid, in said interview, affirmed that he has a lot of respect for death and asks God to “reach him” when she is asleep.

“It’s not that I don’t fear him, I have a lot of respect for him. And I ask God that when he gives it to me, he gives it to me asleep and I don’t realize it, because maybe I’ll give him half back”; Dora Cadavid told at that time.

Precisely, Dora Cadavid died at the age of 84 and, despite the fact that she was away from the small screen, viewers will always remember her for her roles in productions that entertained and marked several generations in the country.

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85% of nursing has mental health affected by the pandemic

The impact of the coronavirus pandemic on nursing continues, 80% of these professionals are still dedicated to addressing covid. After two years of health crisis, 84.7% affirm that their mental health has been affected and almost half, 46.4%, have thought at some point of leaving their profession.

Campaign in support of nursing in a pandemic of the General Council of Nursing. Courtesy photo

This is reflected in the largest survey carried out to date by the General Nursing Council, “Radiography of the professional and emotional situation of the nursing profession” during the pandemic with 19,300 nurses (of the 275,000 who work in public and private centers of all Spain) who have answered between January 25 and February 1 of this year.

Most of the respondents belong to public health, 60%, and have 16 or more years of experience.

The study was presented by the president of the General Nursing Council from Spain, Florentino Pérez Raya, who highlighted that these are “shocking” data that show a greater affectation of these professionals compared to other sectors of society, together with “work hardship”.

The mental health of nursing during the pandemic

The study asked about the psychological and mental affectation that nurses may have experienced as a result of the COVID pandemic: depression, anxiety, insomnia, stress, and fear or fear, and 84.7% have been affected by one of the these disorders:

Graphic of the survey of the General Council of Nursing

Of all nursing, the most affected emotionally and psychologically are the nurses in critical care units -where the mortality rate is highest-, followed by emergencies and primary care.

The study shows that 16.5% of nurses have been forced to request sick leave due to anxiety, stress or mental exhaustion -especially in the socio-health area (19.1%)-, to which are added the derived from infections.

Close to half of the professionals (48%) have suffered from covid-19 and, of all of them, 14.5% have already been infected two or more times. Its incidence far exceeds that of the general population, around 21%.

Discontent and outrage

98.7% do not feel that their work is valued by politicians nor do they trust that they will give them solutions and as a consequence 91.7% believe that it is necessary to mobilize to achieve solutions to work overload and physical exhaustion and mental health, in addition to improving working conditions.

Thus, 46.4% have thought at some point of leaving their profession, a “shocking” fact that forces us to reflect and adopt improvement measures to provide immediate solutions, according to Pérez Raya.

The area in which more professionals have had this thought is critical care, although the General Nursing Council does not know the exact number of those who have finally taken the step in that direction.

Graph from the Nursing and Pandemic Survey of the General Nursing Council

In addition, 28.4% of those surveyed stated that they would not enroll in this career again, a percentage that reaches 30% in the case of those professionals who work in hospitals and ICUs.

And of the 9.3% who are in a position to take early retirement, 63% express their desire to do so. In absolute terms, around 15,000 nurses who, meeting the requirements to retire earlier, even if it means a reduction in their pension, would be willing to do so.

This x-ray of the profession reflects that reality is “very crude” and the lack of social recognition contributes to this.

“Nurses have gone from recognition to total oblivion. We are in an unsustainable situation and it is causing something unthinkable” due to the vocational nature of the profession: abandonment, according to the president of nursing in Spain who has announced mobilizations at the national level.

Covid and workload

Attention to covid is taking over an important part of the activity of the profession to the detriment of the rest of pathologies and patients.

Thus, 79.3% affirm that their health care has to do with covid patients to a greater or lesser extent at the end of each day: 27.1% dedicate almost completely (most of their daily work) and 52 .2% part of their tasks to this type of patient, and only 20.7 of the professionals say they have little or no relationship with the coronavirus.