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CNN Live At Daybreak
Interview With Anna Rodriguez, Neighbor of Kathy Nguyen
Aired November 01, 2001 - 08:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: And right now -- thanks Miles -- authorities are trying to replay the final weeks of the life of Kathy Nguyen. She is the first person in New York to die of anthrax inhalation and the first casualty with no apparent ties to the media or even to the postal service.
Authorities are trying to look for clues that might tell them how she contracted the bacteria. Nguyen was 61 years old. She was a Vietnamese immigrant. She lived in the Bronx for more than 20 years. Her colleagues in Manhattan Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital say she never handled mail on the job.
With me right now is Kathy Nguyen 's neighbor, Anna Rodriguez. Thank you for coming to talk to us this morning.
I can't even imagine what it must like for people living in Kathy's building and those of you who knew her well to understand what happened. What have the investigators told you?
ANNA RODRIGUEZ: Well they came by the building yesterday and they spoke to me personally. They're trying to find what kind of activities Kathy used to do on a daily basis and you know, they asked me questions on how I was feeling, and we're very afraid because we don't know where this came from; how she contacted it. And you know, if it was in the building -- I've lived in the same building for 20 years and it's very frightening because there's children; there's seniors. There's a lot of people in the building -- everybody's afraid because we don't know what's going to happen.
ZAHN: I guess the tests so far that have been done have come back negative, but in the meantime while they await the other test results, have you been told to go on an antibiotic?
RODRIGUEZ: No. They said that if I felt sick, then I should see the doctor and then go on antibiotics, but unless I felt -- if I feel OK, then I should, you know, I shouldn't go on them.
ZAHN: Describe to us what it's like to have your building invaded by these investigators.
RODRIGUEZ: It's very scary, you know, we had news people in the building all day yesterday and you know, it's very sad at the same time because Kathy was a wonderful person. We loved her very much. She had a lot of friends in the building, and in the area. And it's just very scary, you know, because if Kathy can get this, anybody can get this. She was as normal as a normal person can be.
ZAHN: And I understand she actually spoke with people about her fears of anthrax in the building. Did she ever talk to you about that? We saw one of her other neighbors ...
(CROSSTALK)
RODRIGUEZ: No, not personally, but we did speak about what's been happening in New York City and how afraid everybody is because we don't know what's going to be next or you know, how it can affect us personally.
ZAHN: And as investigators try to put together the pieces of this puzzle, they're saying that they did find a presence of spores on her clothing -- nothing at a hospital -- nothing in the apartment so far. What was her normal routine?
She took the subway to work -- right?
RODRIGUEZ: She took the subway, the number six train everyday to work and she used to work afternoon, evening shifts, so she used to leave like about 2:00 in the afternoon and back about 11:00 or 12:00 at night, and she was a regular, you know, person. I mean she went to work everyday, came home, did her shopping, her laundry. She -- you know, she wasn't a person that went out a lot.
ZAHN: Did you see her after she got sick -- I guess last Thursday and Friday she felt like she had the flu, but still went to work anyway, of course, not realizing what she had.
RODRIGUEZ: No, I saw her the week prior to that and she was -- you know, healthy, happy, going to work. You know, there was -- she didn't seem to have any problems. Then the week after that is when I found out that she was ill, then she had asked the super to take her to the hospital, and then this week is when we found out what she had and then, of course, that scared everybody because you know she lives in the building. We have contact with her everyday. So it's very scary.
ZAHN: I understand people in your building also -- had been holding a vigil for her while she was in the hospital and last night you held a prayer service for her.
RODRIGUEZ: Yes, last night we had a candlelight vigil. In the beginning, it was just going to be a prayer for her to help her recover and then after we found out that she had passed, we made it a memorial service for her and you know, we're all concerned -- personally concerned, you know, about you know if we're going to be able to bury her and you know, I'm very concerned about that because I love her dearly and you know ...
(CROSSTALK)
ZAHN: Because she had no immediate family here.
RODRIGUEZ: No immediate family. I'm trying to see who can locate family of hers from Seattle, Washington. I understand she has cousins out there. I'm trying to see I can get a hold of her telephone book because I believe that's where she will have their names and addresses of people that she knows. So as soon as I get that book, hopefully we'll be able to contact somebody.
ZAHN: Well Anna, it is very sad and I know just based on everybody we talked to in your building that this is extremely stressful time for you all.
RODRIGUEZ: Yes it is.
ZAHN: We wish you a lot of luck.
(CROSSTALK)
ZAHN: Thank you for sharing a little bit of your morning with us this morning.
(CROSSTALK)
RODRIGUEZ: You're welcome.
ZAHN: Take care.
RODRIGUEZ: Thank you.
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