42-Year-Old Fort Worth Woman Possibly Died From Flu

Family is waiting for confirmation her dead was flu-related

A 18-year-old Fort Worth daughter is waiting to find out if her mother died from the flu on Thursday.

Diana Ruelas, 42, worked for the city of Fort Worth as a code compliance officer.

Her daughter, Laura Ruelas, said about a week ago her mom started to feel sick, complaining of cold-type symptoms, including dizziness and shortness of breath.

On Thursday, Laura said she and her mom were sitting on the couch watching T.V. when she asked if her mom was comfortable.

“And she goes, ‘I’m comfortable,’” said Ruelas. “But something seemed wrong, so I called 911 and she wasn’t breathing. They told me to do CPR on her. So I was talking to the 911 operator until the ambulance and fire department got there. They worked on her for 30 minutes and then they stopped,” she explained.

“They thought it was maybe the flu. They said she had symptoms of the flu.”

It will be up to an autopsy report from the medical examiner to determine an official cause of death.

Ruelas said she’s not sure if her mom had a flu shot, but said, as far as the family knows, she didn’t have any underlying health conditions.

Now Ruelas, a high school senior, is left to rely on her family.

“She always did everything she could for me. She was the best mom ever,” she said through tears.

“She always made plans of going out of town with me. We never got to do that, but she wanted to dream big.”

Ruelas said she will still hold onto those dreams. But her mother’s sudden death shows how life can change in an instant.

“One minute you’re watching T.V. and the next you’re making funeral arrangements.”  

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