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Bend woman dies of swine flu; husband mourns
Posted: Aug 19, 2009 06:36 PM
First from region to die of disease; had been battling leukemia
By Molly Hendrickson, KTVZ.COM
"This one here, we went to Alaska, so that was in 2005," Andy Peck said Wednesday, showing some family photos and saying he's still in shock that his wife, Dawn, died of the H1N1 swine flu just days ago at Oregon Health and Science University in Portland.
"I don't know where I go," Peck said. "I'm in shock. The day that she died, they said it was the swine flu, but there was really nothing they could do."
But her battle began long before that.
In March the 34-year-old mother of three was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia. Last month, she had a bone marrow transplant at OHSU in Portland, and had been recovering at the hospital, when suddenly she got worse.
"She started having respiratory problems, and it just progressively got worse," he said.
Too weak to battle the virus, Dawn's lungs and kidneys started to shut down, and on Friday, she died - the first person from Central Oregon to die of H1N1, and the ninth in Oregon.
Andy says he is convinced his wife caught the flu from someone at the Portland hospital, and health officials agree.
"It's possible that she may have gotten it before, most likely she got it at the hospital," said Shannon Dames, Deschutes County communicable disease coordinator.
"It's important for people to remember hospitals, even with providers and visitors being absolutely perfect with hygiene, there are bugs just floating around," Dames said.
For now, Andy will continue to move forward with their three children and remember the woman who he fell in love with, he says at first sight.
"I saw a picture of her and I had to meet her. And I've never been shy, so I introduced myself, and the rest is history," he said.
Seventeen years of history.
On Facebook, friends are also grieving together, posting condolences and prayers for Dawn and her family.
"She was an awesome mother. She had a huge heart. She was there for the kids for everything, and for anyone else - her friends loved her."
Health officials warn not to get the new H1N1 and regular flu vaccines at the same time this fall - it can be dangerous, and possibly cause one of the viruses to mutate.
As you can imagine, Andy has been left with huge medical bills.
If you wish to help, you can donate to the Dawn Peck Fund, set up at any branch of U.S. Bank or Umpqua Bank.
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