Nurse Who Came Out of Retirement to Teach Students Through Pandemic Dies of COVID-19
She fell ill after being exposed to an infected student a month after she came out of retirement to teach the next generation of health-care providers.
Reuters/Daniel Acker
A 70-year-old Texas nurse who made the selfless decision to come out of retirement to help students through the pandemic has lost her life to COVID-19, NBC Dallas-Fort Worth reports. Iris Meda retired in January but, in September, as the coronavirus pandemic dragged on, she decided to become a teacher to nursing students. The next month, she contracted COVID-19 after being exposed to an infected student and was hospitalized on Oct. 17. Last week, her husband and daughter were allowed to wear PPE and be there as she took her last breath. Her daughter, Selene Meda-Schlamel, said: “She was doing what she loved... Despite the risks, she was living life to the fullest. On her own terms at the time. Trying to prepare future nurses for this country.”
At 6 @NBCDFW:
— Maria Guerrero (@Maria_NBC5) November 23, 2020
This is Mrs. Iris Meda, a beloved registered nurse.
The 70yo retired in Jan. but came back to teach future frontline workers in Sept. -- only to die of Covid-19 this month.
If you'd like to help her family:https://t.co/qnWaDeW1Ho pic.twitter.com/XcnOkjGfbC
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