by Bay City News
A Napa woman's death last Friday is the first one related to the
6.0-magnitude earthquake that struck the area last month, Napa County
sheriff's officials said.
Laurie Anne Thompson, 65, was struck by a television in her home on Mayfair Drive in Napa when the quake hit around 3:20 a.m. on Aug. 24, sheriff's Capt. Steve Blower said.
Thompson suffered a head injury and complained of a headache but did not immediately go to a hospital. She was alert and did not show signs of cognitive impairment on the day of the earthquake, Blower said.
However, the day afterward her family noticed she was feeling dizzy and her cognitive functions were impaired. The family convinced Thompson to go to the hospital, but she collapsed before they left, Blower said.
Thompson was taken by ambulance to the Queen of the Valley Medical Center in Napa, where her condition continued to deteriorate before her death around 9:35 a.m. Friday.
The cause of death was an intracranial hemorrhage due to an injury suffered in the earthquake, Blower said.
Thompson's son Aaron and daughter Shannon want the public to know that a family member who receives a head injury should seek immediate medical attention, Blower said.
Head injuries can be fatal even if they appear insignificant and should be checked by a doctor.
The Thompson family also said anyone suffering from devastating aftereffects of the earthquake should seek help from mental health professionals and that talking with friends, neighbors and family members can also help people cope with earthquake-related problems.