Family says Alberta avian flu victim was a ‘ bright light’

The Alberta woman who died after contracting H5N1, also known as avian flu, was a hardworking nurse who came to Canada to pursue her dream of working in health care. The woman grew up in China and was a nurse at the Red Deer Regional Hospital, her family said Friday in a statement. She died Jan. 3, about a week after returning from a trip to China to visit family. “Our beloved daughter and wife was a hard- working, independent young woman,” the statement said. “She grew up in China, and in high school she decided she wanted to become a nurse. “The past 10 years have been dedicated to achieving this goal. She came to Canada on her own as a young student to study nursing at Red Deer College. She put herself through school, graduated and earned a job as a registered nurse at the Red Deer Regional Hospital. This was her dream; and she studied and worked extremely hard to achieve this,” the statement said. The family has asked that the woman’s name not be released. “She wanted to help people. She also wanted a career that would allow her to provide for her family and to support those she loved. She did a tremendous amount for her family; she was successful and providing for those in her life. She was a uniquely independent and determined young woman.” The woman, in her late 20s, was married 18 months ago and took a vacation to China with her mother in December 2013. “She was an energetic woman, who her co- workers have described as the bright light in the room. She was driven, and passionate about her work and most of all her family,” the statement said. “We are devastated by her death, and we request time to grieve in privacy. We thank you for respecting our wishes.” The woman is the first person in North America to die from the rare virus, which is extremely difficult to pass through human- to- human contact. The victim’s family members have shown no symptoms of the virus. Health workers wore protective clothing and gloves while treating her in hospital.