DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — A nurse who’s been treating coronavirus patients found herself on the other end of that care when her own father fell victim to the virus.  Lindsey Fairchild’s father, Wayne Oney, died of COVID-19 after she had been treating coronavirus patients for several months as a nurse at Advent Health in Daytona Beach.

After many months of treating those sickest with COVID-19, Fairchild was already mentally and physically exhausted.

“You spend however many days trying to save somebody and then they don’t make it and you’re with them when they take their last breath and then you cry with the families,” said Fairchild.

Then she got a text from her dad who lives in Ohio. He had COVID-19.

“He got to the point where he just couldn’t breathe, and I said, 'You need to go to the hospital,'” said Fairchild.

After seeing dozens of her own patients succumb to the illness, after 26 days in the ICU she saw her father was running out of chances.  She traveled to Ohio and was able to see her her father through his hospital room window moments before he died.

Like so many other families, though, she couldn’t be by his side.

“It was a surreal situation to be in because I just wanted to put my gear on and go in the room, because that’s what I do — that’s who I am — and I couldn’t,” said Fairchild. “So being 10 feet away from him, although it was close, it might as well have been a million miles.”

Fairchild said most coronavirus patients don’t survive after they’re put on a ventilator.  Jim Landsman was an exception.  Spectrum News 13 introduced you to Landsman last month, and showed you how he’s now dealing with what will likely be life-long health problems.

“Jim Landsman was a miracle, that he survived as sick as he was,” said Fairchild.

Landsman survived, something Fairchild said fuels her drive to never give up on her patients, and it's something she makes sure their families know.

“I’ve been through it too and I understand and I want you to know I’m here for your family and I’m not going to leave them, and I’m going to see this through to the end,” said Fairchild.

And Fairchild wants everyone to know they shouldn’t let up on safety measures like wearing masks and social distancing — and making sacrifices.

“This isn’t going to go on for the rest of our lives, so missing a Christmas or a Thanksgiving, or not being with your loves ones for their birthday, that’s only for a time,” said Fairchild.

But it’s the rest of her life she and her 16-year-old sister will have to go without their father.

“Her whole world revolved around him and his whole world revolved around her and now he’s gone,” Fairchild said.

Fairchild’s father was 69, had diabetes and asthma.  She believes he caught the virus from younger people — possibly his teenage daughter — after a volleyball teammate had it.  That spread from younger, possibly even asymptomatic people, is something that health officials have said has been such a factor in this pandemic.