SoCal nurse, who devoted countless hours to saving COVID patients' lives, dies from virus

Thursday, August 19, 2021
LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Registered nurse Maria Peterson, who devoted countless hours to helping COVID victims in SoCal fight for their lives, has died after a difficult battle with the virus.

Peterson, who worked at the VA Hospital in Los Angeles, contracted COVID while visiting Guatemala in July.

Coincidently around the same time in Los Angeles, the virus was sweeping through her family. Her husband Austin says he and their teenage son along with her parents all got COVID around the same time that month.

They recovered, but she did not.

After weeks in critical condition in a Guatemala hospital, she was transported to a hospital in Houston.

As friends and loved ones prayed for her recovery, they were also trying to get her transported to L.A., so they could be by her side as she fought for her life.

They had also set up a GoFundMe account to help with her medical expenses, which were piling up.

Peterson's close friend and fellow nurse Lisa Burrell reached out to Eyewitness News on Wednesday night, sharing the heartbreaking news that her dear friend had died in Houston. She said Peterson "was not able to turn the corner to recovery and she slipped out of this world."

MORE | What we know about the delta variant
Understanding the Delta threat: Dr. Jen breaks it down


Copyright © 2024 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.