COVID strikes home of North High principal
By North Community High School students Princess Boswell, Senior, Kyla Moore, Senior, Andrianna Bynum, Junior, Alexandria McNeal, Junior, Kayla Kirk, Sophomore, Ameyir Freeman, Freshman, Paris Perkins, Freshman and Harry Colbert, Jr., Editor-in-Chief
“I couldn’t breathe.”
Recalling her harrowing experience with COVID-19, North Community High Principal Mauri Friestleben sat for a candid and heartfelt interview with students from North’s journalism program. According to the beloved principal, for a moment she had to come to grips the thought that she might not survive the experience.
“I’m not a fragile person. I’m not what you would consider weak or scared, but with COVID I was fragile, I was weak, I was scared … I was all of those things,” said Friestleben. “The night I went to the hospital I cried. I felt I wasn’t going to see (my husband and my daughters) again.”
North Community High School Principal Mauri Friestleben connects with students and staff during the first days of distance learning back in April. Photo by David Pierini
Friestleben’s odyssey occurred during the Thanksgiving holiday. First it was her youngest daughter who fell ill. Then it was Friestleben.
“(My daughter) had a fever that wouldn’t break and for a 14-year-old that’s bizarre, so we took her to get tested (for COVID) and while there I decided to get tested too,” said the principal. “I really didn’t have any symptoms at the time, but we got the results Thanksgiving night.”
The results were both positive for COVID-19.
Though at first Friestleben showed no signs of ill effects from the virus, that soon changed. It began mild, the loss of taste and smell, but soon things took a change for the worst for the mother of four. Eventually the difficulty breathing led Friestleben to the hospital; and led her to think the unthinkable.
“I could feel the COVID in my body. I was tired, sick, fever, body aches … I was nervous. I had to go in (to the hospital) by myself (due to COVID-19 hospital protocols). When I was walking down the halls I would see people in beds that looked really, really sick. (In my hospital room) I laid back, closed my eyes and said a prayer,” Friestleben emotionally recalled. “And I felt like my prayers were answered.”
Friestleben said a physically and emotionally weary doctor told her he had been working nonstop, and almost all he had been doing was intubating COVID-19 patients. He told Friestleben that while she was very sick – diagnosed with COVID pneumonia – her condition did not require further intubation nor hospitalization; a welcomed relief.
“He said I’d feel really bad for a couple of weeks and he was right, but I’m so, so thankful,” said Friestleben. “I said thank you God.”
The North High principal has been open about her bout with COVID, sharing a heartfelt post to her Facebook page about her experience. She said the community response warmed her heart; especially the response from her students.
“My students were worried. I got a lot of messages from them and I really appreciated that,” said Friestleben.
Continuing the work
Though COVID-19 slowed Friestleben down, by no means did it stop her.
The second-year principal at North is continuing to work for her students (and future students) even though they are not physically in her presence or within the walls of North Community High Schools. In fact, it is those walls that Friestleben is seeking to change.
The enterprising principal told North’s journalism students she has hopes for a new building at the 1500 James Ave. N. site. She said she has been meeting with leaders from the district, the business and philanthropic communities and North High alums in efforts to help bring her vision to reality. She said a new facility could be built while students are in session by holding all classes and activities on one end of the current building as demolition and construction takes place on the other end.
“I think our kids deserve a state-of-the-art building,” said Friestleben, using schools such as Wayzata High School and DeLaSalle High School as examples.
Friestleben said while she has several individuals and groups ready to assist, she is getting resistance from district leaders, who she says are not keen on having outside monies being used to fund such a project.
North News will follow-up on this story in the next edition of the publication.