Seattle

Seattle Woman, 90, Walks 6 Miles Through Snow for Vaccine

“It was not easy going, it was challenging,” Fran Goldman said of her trek

This undated photo provided by Ruth Goldman shows Fran Goldman. A rare winter storm that dumped a foot of snow on Seattle couldn't keep Fran Goldman from her first appointment for the coronavirus vaccine on Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021. The 90-year old walked six miles round trip to get her shot.
Ruth Goldman via AP

A rare winter storm that dumped a foot of snow on Seattle couldn’t keep a 90-year-old woman from her first appointment for the coronavirus vaccine.

The Seattle Times reports that Fran Goldman walked six miles round trip to get her shot.

“I have been calling to get an appointment anywhere, every morning, every afternoon and often I’ve been online at night,” Goldman said.

The Biden administration says it is working to streamline the distribution process and send more doses to states each week.

She finally secured a slot for Sunday morning, but Friday and Saturday a strong winter storm moved through the region, turning the city's normally rainy streets into a winter scene of snowdrifts.

Goldman dressed in fleece pants and a short-sleeved shirt so that the nurse could get to her arm easily. Over that, she layered a fleece zip-up, then a down coat, then a rain jacket.

She then put on snow boots, took out her walking sticks and ventured onto the snowy streets.

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“It was not easy going, it was challenging,” she told the newspaper.

Heavy snow and frigid temperatures continue to grip much of the nation, with weather advisories stretching from the northeast to the southwest. More than ten deaths have been blamed on the weather and millions of people have been forced to endure the cold conditions without power. The deep freeze is also hitting the Deep South, where states like Texas and Mississippi saw rare snowfalls as powerful storms caused damage across the Carolinas Monday night.

But Goldman made it to her appointment, just 5 minutes late.

Her daughter Ruth Goldman, who lives in Buffalo, New York, wasn't surprised by her mother's actions.

“We’re outside people,” she said. “We love being outside. I was out yesterday at Lake Ontario with a wind chill of 6 degrees."

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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