A California middle school teacher, Leah Seneng, tragically passed away after being bitten by a bat in her classroom. The 60-year-old encountered the bat unexpectedly at Bryant Middle School in Dos Palos last October. Her friend, Laura Splotch, shared details of the incident with local ABC affiliate KFSN.

“I don’t know if she thought it was dead or what caused it to be lying around her classroom and she was trying to scoop it up and take it outside,” Splotch recalled to the local news channel. “She didn’t wanna harm it. But that’s when, I guess it woke up or saw the light or whatever.” The bat moved around and then flew away. Initially she didn’t exhibit any signs of rabies from the bat bite. However, a month later she became very ill and was admitted to the hospital and was placed into a coma.

“It’s just devastating to see her in that state, with all the machines hooked up and everything, it was pretty upsetting and scary,” said Splotch.

Seneng passed away four days later on November 22.

Laura Splotch, who met Leah about 15 years ago when their children became friends in kindergarten, said their friendship grew through Leah’s kind nature and shared love for the arts.

“She was a lover of life. She spent a lot of time in the mountains where her mother lived. She loved to explore the world, she’s a great explorer,” said Splotch.

Seneng was a talented artist who channeled her passion into a career as an art teacher, most recently teaching at Bryant Middle School, Splotch shared.

Fresno County Deputy Health Officer Trinidad Solis explained to the outlet that symptoms of rabies in humans typically appear within four to eight weeks. Without vaccination during this window, the disease is nearly always fatal, with symptoms advancing rapidly once they begin.

According to the Fresno County Department of Public Health, there is currently no threat to the public. This is still under investigation to make sure there are no other possible exposures.

“To date, there has been vaccines administered to both health care workers and household contacts,” said a Fresno County representative.

Seneng’s family has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover her funeral expenses following her sudden and unexpected passing. So far, over $ 2,500 has been raised.

Rest in Peace.