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Parents say son tried to tough-out Army training

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  • Parents say son tried to tough-out Army training

    <a href="http://s190.photobucket.com/albums/z27/prandot/?action=view&amp;current=CITchasefolloP022211_0.jp g" target="_blank"><img src="http://i190.photobucket.com/albums/z27/prandot/CITchasefolloP022211_0.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>


    LEWISTON — Rhonda Tilley knew her son, Jordan Chase, sounded wrong when he called her from boot camp in Fort Jackson, S.C.

    "He said, 'It's just a cold, Mom,'" Tilley said. He then told her about a rigorous physical test he was scheduled to take the next day.

    The 19-year-old man toughed it out, passing the test on Feb. 12. Then, he sought help.

    He was admitted at the local hospital that night. His family didn't learn how sick he was until later, when doctors sent him to a bigger hospital for treatment and the Army called home to Maine. His dad, Tom Chase of New Gloucester, stayed here to support the extended family. Tilley, who lives in Lewiston, immediately rushed to be at her son's side.

    By the time she reached Chase on Feb. 15, he was breathing oxygen from a tube. He was fighting pneumonia and the H1N1 virus, the so-called "swine flu."

    At first he gained on it. Doctors predicted a full recovery. Then, his body seemed to need more and more oxygen.

    On Sunday morning, with his mother and other family at his side, Chase died.

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