Franklin County has 1st swine-flu death

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Franklin County has 1st swine-flu death
Pregnant woman died early this morning; baby is doing fine, health officials say
Thursday, September 3, 2009 11:49 AM
By Misti Crane

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
A 20-year-old pregnant Columbus woman died early this morning hours of swine flu, formally known as H1N1, according to health officials.

The woman died at Doctors Hospital, said OhioHealth spokesman Mark Hopkins.


Columbus Public Health spokesman Jose Rodriguez said he could not provide additional details on her death, he said.

The woman's baby is doing well, he said. The baby was taken to Nationwide Children's Hospital.

The health department is holding a news conference at 12:30 today.

For more information on H1N1 and pregnancy, click here.

[hawkeye]

Re: Franklin County has 1st swine-flu death

Pregnant Ohio Woman Dies of Swine Flu

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Health officials in Ohio say a 20-year-old pregnant woman has died of swine flu.

The woman's baby was delivered prior to her death Thursday at a Columbus hospital, and officials say the baby is doing well. No other details about the woman were released.

Ohio Health Department spokesman Kristopher Weiss says pregnant women who get any type of flu are at risk for serious complications.

A vaccine to protect against swine flu is expected to be available this fall. Thursday's death is the third swine flu death in Ohio. Two others were reported in June -- a man who died in Butler County and a woman who died in Cuyahoga County.

Through Aug. 27, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 556 swine flu deaths in the U.S. and 8,800 hospitalizations.

[B.C.]

Re: Franklin County has 1st swine-flu death

Pregnant central Ohio woman dies from swine flu (video)

BY 10TV ? September 4, 2009

COLUMBUS -- A 20-year-old pregnant woman was central Ohio's first casualty of the H1N1 flu virus, health officials said Thursday.
Advertisement

Kelsey Young died Thursday morning at Doctor's Hospital, 10TV News reported.

Young gave birth to a girl, Ava Renee, during the 32nd week of her pregnancy, a week before she died. The infant is expected to be OK.

"Tragically, a local resident has died of H1N1 and our hearts go out to her family," said Columbus Public Health Commissioner Dr. Teresa Long. "This tragedy reinforces our community that it is not immune to this worldwide pandemic, and we all need to prepare now to protect ourselves, our families and the entire community."

Long said the woman went to the hospital after developing flu-like symptoms.

Dr. Mysheika LeMaile-Williams, medical director and assistant health commissioner, said the woman's death was a reminder that pregnant women were among the groups at highest risk for seasonal flu and H1N1, also known was swine flu.

"Pregnant women are a vulnerable population because they are considered to be immunocompromised," LeMaile-Williams said. "You have one body that is trying to do the work of two individuals."

Three people in Ohio have died from complications of H1N1 flu, said Kristopher Weiss with the Ohio Department of Health.

A man from Butler County and a woman from Cuyahoga County died in June after contracting the virus.

Health officials said the Cuyahoga County woman also contracted the virus while pregnant.

http://www.coshoctontribune.com/article/20090904/NEWS01/909040310

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Re: Franklin County has 1st swine-flu death

Family Remembers Mother Who Died From H1N1 Virus

Monday, September 7, 2009 7:08 AM

COLUMBUS, Ohio ?

The family of a 20-year-old woman who died last week from the H1N1 virus said they want people to get vaccinated in her memory.

Kelsey Young was the second pregnant woman in Ohio to die from the disease.

"She was planning her own baby shower and she already has everything in the nursery she needs, you couldn't fit another baby outfit in that closet," said Young's sister, Mandy Quinn.

Young gave birth to a girl, Ava Renee, during the 32nd week of her pregnancy, a week before she died.

"It's really sad that she's gone and I think the biggest thing that's really hitting our family now at this point is that baby Ava is never going to be able to meet her mother," Quinn said.

Young was taken by a disease that is mostly heard about in the news, but many people don't think can happen to them.

"You know, people may think the media has kind of overblown this and you know that's what we thought for a while, that it was just overblown, but then it hit our family and it's a real thing, it's a real threat and we don't want anybody else to have to go through this," Quinn said.

Health care experts said pregnancy puts a woman more at risk for the virus. The Columbus health department recommends expectant mothers and their families get vaccinated. Young's family does, too.

"Pregnant women are a lot more susceptible to this H1N1 virus and it's really important to get the vaccine because we don't want any other families to have to go through what we're going through right now," Quinn said.

Health officials said people should do the following to help prevent the spread of H1N1 and seasonal flu:

- Get a seasonal flu shot.
- Stay home from work or school if you are sick.
- Cover your cough.
- Wash your hands and use alcohol-based hand sanitizers.
- Don't touch your eyes, nose or mouth.
- Avoid close contact with sick people.
- Get a H1N1 vaccine when it's available.

An H1N1 vaccine is being developed and is expected to be made available to priority groups in mid-October.

Priority groups include pregnant women, health care workers and emergency medical responders, people caring for infants less than 6 months old, children and young adults aged 6 months to 24 years, and people ages 25-64 with underlying medical conditions.

Three people in Ohio have died from complications of H1N1 influenza, according to Kristopher Weiss with the Ohio Department of Health.

A man from Butler County and a woman from Cuyahoga County died in June after contracting the virus.

Health officials said the Cuyahoga County woman also contracted the virus while pregnant.

http://www.wbns10tv.com/live/content/local/stories/2009/09/07/story_h1n1_family.html

[Shiloh]

Re: Franklin County has 1st swine-flu death

Source: http://www.snponline.com/articles/20...4_0301pm_1.txt

Benefit planned for flu victim's daughter
By KRISTIN CAMPBELL
Published: Wednesday, October 14, 2009 5:06 PM EDT

A week to the day after she was born by Caesarean section, Baby Ava lost her mother to H1N1.

Now friends, family and total strangers are banding together to provide for her future, to make her life a little easier, in spite of her tragic beginnings.

A benefit in Ava's honor will be held Oct. 18 in at the Derby Lounge in Grove City. The event will feature entertainment, kids' activities, a silent auction, raffles and live coverage of the Browns/Steelers football faceoff, with all proceeds going to a fund for Ava.

Baby Ava was born Aug. 27 to Kelsey White, a 2007 Westland High School graduate. At 31 weeks into her pregnancy, Kelsey fell ill with the flu.

After three days, she was hospitalized, and doctors diagnosed her with the H1N1 virus. In spite of 24-hour nursing and a variety of treatments, she had to be placed on a ventilator and a paralytic drug.

Kelsey's mother Cathy, Ava's grandmother, eventually made the decision to let doctors deliver Ava early.

"There was no question," Cathy said. "Ava was not in trouble. The doctors wanted to deliver her so they could treat Kelsey more effectively."

But in spite of the best efforts of the doctors, never came out from under the paralytic drugs that had been administered to keep her still and calm while she recovered. White died Sept. 3 , and Ava was met with a new set of challenges.

In spite of the fact that she had been born healthy and strong -- something doctors didn't expect -- and that she was gaining weight each day, Ava would now grow up never having known her mother -- she was quarantined and separated from her immediately after birth.

But Ava's story could have a happy ending. She now lives with her grandparents, who are raising her with help from Ava's father.

Cathy said she doesn't want Ava to grow up under a stigma because of cruel circumstance.

"I don't want people labeling her "the swine flu baby," she said. "I don't want people coming up to us in the grocery store and saying, 'Oh, you're those swine flu people.'"

Cathy said she doubts she could react kindly. So she focuses her efforts on raising Ava and trying to heal after the passing of her own child.

Cathy and her husband, White's stepfather, say they have the resources to raise the child. The money raised at the benefit will be saved for later to allow Ava to make whatever dreams she has come true, Cathy said.

"All this money is for her future," she said said.

"Kelsey worked two jobs since she was 15 years because she wanted more out of life. By the time Ava is college age, we'll be almost 70, and there's no way to know what kind financial position be in."

Family friend Aimee Myers is organizing the benefit along with her friend Angela Thum, who didn't know White. Together, the two women are logging hundreds of hours to put together a fundraiser that will provide for the needs of this baby as she reaches adulthood.

Myers said she is amazed at the response they've gotten so far.

"When something like this happens, you find out who your friends are and how generous people can be," she said. "I think we all realize that this could have been any of us."

Steve Sterrett and Diana Blakeman, proprietors of the Derby Lounge, have been invaluable, Myers said .They donated the site and are donating proceeds from the drink sales the day of the event.

Myers also said there has been a huge response from local businesses, which have donated hundreds of items, from T-shirts and banners advertising the event to raffle prizes and auction entries.

Among the items to be auctioned and raffled are a whitewater rafting trip with hotel accommodations, sports memorabilia, gift cards from dozens of restaurants and stores, DJ service, house cleaning, movie passes, car rentals, teeth whitening, rounds of golf, tools, car wash gift certificates, free pizza for a year and more.

Raffle tickets will be pulled as guests compete for best bid on the silent auction pages. Children will enjoy face painting, bounce houses and live entertainment while parents check out auction items and take in the football game.

Ava will stay home during the event -- her family is very conscious of flu season and of exposing her to morbid curiosity -- but even without her presence, the atmosphere will be one of excitement and joy. It will be a celebration of White's life, of Ava's new beginning and of a community coming together to support a family that has been through terrible hardship, Myers said.

Cathy, Kelsey's mother, said she thinks the turnout will be strong because of the helping nature of the community and because White was the kind of person who inspired love.

"As you can tell by the response it's gotten so far, Kelsey was a very good friend to her friends," she said.

For the Love of Kelsey: A Benefit for Baby Ava will be held from 1-4 p.m. Oct. 18 at the Derby Lounge, 2209 Stringtown Road.

"When something like this

happens, you find out who your friends are and how generous people can be ...I think we all

realize that this could have been any of us."

--Aimee Myers