Announcement

**Chuck** · September 28, 2009, 10:29 PM

Re: Ft. Worth School district responds to death from unknown cause

http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/localnews/news8/stories/wfaa090928_mo_.1c6c1e885.html

FW girl, 14, dies from flu

09:07 PM CDT on Monday, September 28, 2009

By CHRIS HAWES / WFAA-TV

FORT WORTH - Five days ago, Fort Worth eight grader Chloe Lindsey came down with a fever. She was diagnosed with the flu Friday and died Sunday.

The 14 year old didn't get Tamiflu at her doctor's visit because she wasn't considered high risk.

Chloe's mother, Tammy Osborne, said it all happened so fast.

She said she did everything medical professionals told her to do and can't understand how a touch of a fever turned into a deadly illness.

Chloe's symptoms began with a fever Wednesday. By Friday, Osborne said a visit with a Fort Worth doctor confirmed her 14-year-old daughter had the flu, possibly the swine flu.

But, Chloe went home from the doctor's visit without Tamiflu, the medication that can ease the flu's severity.

"They were advised by the CDC to not give Tamiflu to people that were normally healthy," Osborne said. "So, they wouldn't treat her."

When Chloe's fever got worse, Osborne called the doctor's office after hours phone line Friday night and was told to keep watching her.

"Saturday she felt really bad," she said. "She couldn't eat or drink or take the medicine."

It only got worse from there.

"She took a deep breath, it wasn't very deep, and I could hear crackling in there," Osborne said. "I said, 'That's it. I'm going to the hospital."

By sunrise Sunday, Chloe was at the hospital.

"Everybody just looked at her and just started running around like crazy," Osborne said.

By sunset, Chloe was gone.

"I was scared for them to put her to sleep because I was afraid she would never wake up and she didn't, she didn't," Osborne said.

She said she doesn't blame her doctor, but does question the guidelines that originally ruled out Tamiflu for her daughter.

Dr. Donald Murphey, he director of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Cook Children's Medical Center, said it is an unfortunate case of short supply.

"We want to do everything we can for every single kid every day," he said. "It's very difficult when resources are stretched and we have to try to balance what's available."

Murphey confirmed guidelines encourage doctors to reserve Tamiflu for the very old, very young and people with other complicating medical problems.

However, he did say there are red flags that can warn a parent when to call their doctor immediately. High fever, difficulty breathing and not being awake, alert and active are all serious signs.

Children who have had the flu more than a couple of days should also be taken to a doctor.

"They just kept telling me it would get better, but it didn't," Osborne said in the case of her own daughter. "I wish now I might have listened to my instincts a little bit better."

Dallas County is seeing a growing number of flu cases. So far, 99 people have been hospitalized with confirmed cases of H1N1. One in four were placed in intensive care units. The number of those who have died remains at four, including two children and two adults.

**Shiloh** · September 29, 2009, 07:17 AM

Re: Ft. Worth School district responds to death from unknown cause

Source: http://www.star-telegram.com/health/story/1642373.html

Tarrant County health officials investigating whether girl, 14, died of swine flu
Posted Monday, Sep. 28, 2009

By ALEX BRANCH and JAN JARVIS

abranch@star-telegram.com

Health officials are investigating whether a Leonard Middle School student who died Sunday after being hospitalized with flulike symptoms had the H1N1 swine flu.

Chloe Lindsey, 14, fell ill Wednesday evening and had developed a temperature of 103.8 degrees and pneumonia when she was rushed to the hospital Sunday, said her father, Tom Osborne.

She tested positive for a Type A influenza at her doctor’s office Friday, he said. H1N1 is a particular strain of Type A that requires further testing for a diagnosis.

Lindsey, an eighth-grader, had no underlying health problems. She ran track and played clarinet in the school band, he said.

"We want other parents to be aware . . . this happened so fast," he said, fighting tears as he spoke outside his Benbrook home Monday evening. "She was so healthy. And it got her and got her so fast."

Health officials are investigating whether influenza was a contributing cause of the death and whether Lindsey had the H1N1 virus, said Dr. Sandra Parker, medical director and health authority for Tarrant County Public Health. Conclusive results should be available today after additional tests are completed.

"We are conducting additional testing that is not limited to H1N1," she said.

The Tarrant County medical examiner was notified of the death by a physician with Cook Children’s Medical Center, said Linda Anderson, a spokeswoman for the medical examiner. However, the attending doctor will determine the cause of death. Texas law allows a patient’s physician to determine a cause of death without an autopsy.

If H1N1 influenza is confirmed as the cause of death, Lindsey would be the first swine flu-related fatality in Tarrant County. There have been 14 people in Tarrant County hospitalized with flulike illnesses.

Fort Worth school district officials said counselors were at the school Monday to help grieving students and staff. In a news release, the district said that "while no information regarding the cause of death has been given, school custodial staff worked overnight to thoroughly clean the school — classrooms and lockers — with approved sanitizers."

CDC guidelines

Lindsey went home from school Wednesday evening feeling "flushed," Osborne said. On Thursday morning, she had a fever, and her mother, Tammy Osborne, made her stay home.

By Friday, Lindsey was congested and feeling worse, so her parents took her to her pediatrician’s office, where she tested positive for flu.

However, she did not receive the antiviral medication Tamiflu because the doctors said the CDC guidelines recommend giving it only to people most at risk, he said.

Health officials announced this month that the antiviral medicines should be reserved for people most at risk, including pregnant women, children younger than 5 and those with certain chronic conditions like asthma and heart disease.

"They kept asking if she had asthma or diabetes," Tom Osborne said. "They said if there is not an underlying health problem then the CDC recommends withholding it because they are so short, especially on the child doses. They said to make sure she gets lots of fluids and rest."

On Friday evening, Lindsey’s temperature rose to just under 104 degrees, he said. They called the doctor’s office and were told that it is normal for temperatures to rise at night and to keep doing their best to keep it down. "They said not to really start worrying about the fever until it hits 105," he said.

On Saturday, Lindsey’s breathing seemed shallow, he said. Her parents thought that perhaps she was getting dehydrated. But early Sunday morning, while Lindsey was lying in bed with Tammy, her breathing worsened, he said.

"[Tammy] asked her 'Baby, why are you breathing like that?’ " he said. "Chloe said 'Because I can’t, and because it hurts.’ She said it was in her back and her ribs and her chest.

"And that’s when my wife said 'That’s it, we’re going to the hospital.’ "

When Lindsey arrived at Cook Children’s emergency department at 7:22 a.m. Sunday, she had flulike symptoms that included fever and respiratory issues, a hospital spokesperson said.

Tom Osborne cried as he recounted Lindsey being put on a ventilator, then going into cardiac arrest. Doctors and nurses performed CPR on her for 45 minutes but could not save her, he said.

"I want to thank all the people at Cooks," he said, his voice breaking. "They had 26 people in this tiny room trying to save my daughter’s life. But her little body just couldn’t do it."

Tom Osborne said his family is still waiting for a conclusive finding on whether Lindsey had swine flu. He said he and his wife don’t blame their daughter’s pediatrician but can’t help but question the CDC guidelines.

"For all the parents out there, insist on treatment," he said. "We don’t understand how we have gotten to this point where we don’t have the medicine for these children."

Staff writers Anthony Spangler and Eva-Marie Ayala contributed to this report.

**JimO** · September 29, 2009, 09:50 AM

Tarrant County May Have First Swine Flu Death

Source: http://www.publicbroadcasting.net/ke...wine.Flu.Death

Tarrant County May Have First Swine Flu Death

BJ Austin, KERA News (2009-09-29)

Tarrant County Health officials expect to know later today if a teenager died of swine flu. KERA's BJ Austin reports.

Officials say the 14 year old girl died Sunday at a local hospital, and flu may have been a contributing cause-of-death. Conclusive test results are expected today. The Fort Worth School District says even though the H1N1 virus had not been confirmed, custodians immediately cleaned and sanitized the school the girl attended.

Dallas County has reported four deaths associated with the H1N1 flu virus: two adults and two children. 99 Dallas County residents with confirmed H1N1 have been hospitalized since the virus first appeared in April. Health officials say 68% of the H1N1 cases have been in patients between five and 24 years of age.

Also today, classes resume in a middle school in Fairview, in Collin County. They were suspended yesterday after more than 200 students and 14 teachers were absent with flu-like symptoms.

**Shiloh** · September 29, 2009, 10:36 AM

Re: Tarrant County May Have First Swine Flu Death

More here: http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/sho...d.php?t=126758

**JimO** · September 29, 2009, 10:59 AM

Re: Tarrant County May Have First Swine Flu Death

Originally posted by Shiloh View Post

More here: http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/sho...d.php?t=126758

I merged my duplicate thread with this one.

**Shiloh** · September 29, 2009, 11:09 AM

Re: Ft. Worth School district responds to death - Confimed A/H1N1

Source: http://cbs11tv.com/local/h1n1.teen.death.2.1214574.html

By Arezow Doost
FORT WORTH (CBS 11 / TXA 21) ―

A Tarrant County family is mourning the loss of their teenage daughter. County health officials confirmed Tuesday that Chloe Lindsey died as a result of the H1N1 flu virus. It is the first H1N1-related death in Tarrant County.

Now, Chloe's parents want others across North Texas to hear their story and realize they could soon face the same situation.

It's a description from a proud father: "Chloe was just beautiful - just a beautiful child," said Tom Osborne of his teenage daughter.

The Osborne family is pulling together and trying to make sense of Chloe's death. "Right now my world is in a little darker place," her father said.

Chloe died Sunday night at Cook Children's Medical Center. Her death came just five days after she started feeling sick.

Thursday, Chloe's parents kept her home from Leonard Middle School in Fort Worth. By Friday she had gotten worse, so they took the eighth grader to her pediatrician and were told to keep a close eye on her.

"This thing does not discriminate. It will go after anybody," Tom Osborne said of the illness that claimed his daughter's life. "My baby girl was... she was radiant, had so much promise. [A] straight-A student, ran track and loved by so many and it got her, too."

The Osbornes say their pediatrician followed the guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control and couldn't give Chloe Tamiflu. The CDC says, because of a nationwide shortage of Tamiflu, they recommend only giving the drug to children 2 years old and younger - or to children older than 2 only if they have a chronic illness.

"If we could have controlled the flu we would have headed off the pneumonia," Osborne said.

Doctors told the Osbornes their daughter suffered from influenza and viral pneumonia.

The Osborne family is mourning what Chloe will never be. "She had been the neatest little person. And we were loving watching her become the neatest big person," her father said.

The family must also try and explain to death to their youngest daughter, Maddy, who they say idolized her big sister. "We have to tell her Sissy is not coming home. She's not coming home."

The Osborne family says they aren't upset with their pediatrician, just the CDC because of their guidelines.

CBS 11 News left a message with the CDC to find out if the organization might rethink the guidelines because of situations like that of Chloe Lindsey. So far, they haven't provided a response.

In the meantime, the Fort Worth Independent School District has sanitized all classrooms and lockers at Leonard Middle School. School officials have also sent home a letter focusing on flu prevention and ways to keep germs from spreading.

They advised parents to:

? Talk with and teach your child about cough and sneeze etiquette and proper hand washing.
? Get your child vaccinated for seasonal flu and for H1N1 flu when the vaccine is available.
? Remind your child not to eat or drink after their friends at school or in daycare settings.
? If your child is ill, keep him or her at home. This helps everyone.
? And to parents of a child who is at higher risk of catching the flu or developing complications from the flu, be particularly mindful of your child's health.

**Chuck** · September 29, 2009, 12:00 PM

Re: Ft. Worth School district responds to death - Confimed A/H1N1

http://www2.counton2.com/cbd/news/national/article/teen_dies_from_flu_within_days_mother_says_she_was_perfectly_healthy/69607/

Teen dies from flu within days; Mother says she was ?perfectly healthy?

NBC
Published: September 29, 2009

A 14-year-old Fort Worth girl who was ?perfectly healthy? her entire life died suddenly Sunday after being diagnosed with the flu, her mother said.

Chloe Lindsey died hours after she was rushed to Cook Children?s Medical Center. ?She was perfectly healthy,? said her mother, Tammy Osborne. ?I think she had been sick twice since she was 2 years old.?

She first felt ill on Wednesday and went to the doctor Friday, Osborne said. ?They did the swab test, and it was positive for the flu,? she said. On Saturday night, her breathing became labored, and by Sunday morning, she could barely breathe. ?She was just gasping for air,? Osborne said. ?I asked her, ?Baby, why are you breathing like that?? And she said, ?Momma, it hurts.? Her mother rushed her to the emergency room.

Doctors tried to put her on a ventilator and another machine to help her breathe. The fluid in her lungs was so thick, it was pressing on her heart, doctors told her mother.

?Before they could get her hooked up to the machine, she arrested,? Osborne said between tears. She counted 24 doctors and nurses working frantically to give her CPR for more than 40 minutes, but they could not save her. ?It was just like she had the flu, and she was gone,? her mother said.

The Fort Worth Independent School District released a statement that did not name Chloe?s school for privacy reasons, but said custodians had thoroughly cleaned the school with sanitizers.

Chloe was in the eighth grade at Leonard Middle School, her mother said. Osborne said school administrators should be more open about flu outbreaks so parents will be informed.

?It?s just like when a kid gets lice,? she said. ?They send home a letter saying, ?There?s a kid in the class that had lice. Please check your kids.? Lice won?t kill you, but the flu killed my baby.?

Counselors were on hand at the school to offer grief support to students and staff Monday, officials said.

Chloe?s family said she tested positive for Type A influenza, which meant she probably had the swine flu, Osborne said doctors told her. Conclusive results should be available Tuesday after additional testing has been completed, the Tarrant County Public Health department said. Cook Children?s Medical Center said two children being treated for flu-like symptoms were in critical condition Monday. Doctors say the H1N1 virus, or swine flu, is no more dangerous than the seasonal flu.

Trouble breathing or congestion in the lungs are symptoms that might require immediate medical attention, doctors say.

**Pathfinder** · September 30, 2009, 02:30 PM

Re: Ft. Worth School district responds to death - Confimed A/H1N1

Early Show Health CISCO, Texas, Sept. 30, 2009

Emotional Plea from H1N1 Victim's Parents
Mom, Stepfather of Texas Teen Who Died Sunday Tell Other Parents To Follow Their Instincts in Dealing with Kids Who Get It

(CBS) New numbers bear out just how big a threat the H1N1 virus is to children.

The latest report from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that strain of flu has killed 49 children in the United States. And the numbers are on the rise: At least 19 kids have died in 14 states since the beginning of August. And the "traditional" flu season is just beginning.

One of the latest victims was 14-year-old Chloe Lindsey, of Cisco, Texas. She died Sunday.

Her mother, Tammy Osborne, and stepfather, Tom Osborne, told "Early Show" co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez they can't help but think they should have intervened sooner and more forcefully after Chloe fell ill.

Through tears, Tammy said, "The reason we decided to do this (the interview) and what we think is most important for people to know, even in our time of pain, is that I knew Chloe was sick, and even thought the doctor said she was gonna be OK, and they didn't give her the medicine (Tamiflu, which the Osbornes say wasn't administered until Chloe had taken a severe turn for the worse), I knew she was really sick. And I would have been more demanding in her treatment, and been more of an advocate for her than I was.

"And I think it's important to let people know that, even though we're taught all our lives to trust our doctors, and I do trust my doctor, that nobody knows my child better than me, and that, when I knew something wasn't right, I should have gone and made somebody do something."

After the Osbornes told what happened to Chloe, CBS News Medical Correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton reflected on what happened:

VIDEO LINK:

Page Not Found: 404 Not Found -

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/09/30/earlyshow/health/main5352499.shtml

Announcement

Ft. Worth School district responds to death - Confimed A/H1N1

Ft. Worth School district responds to death - Confimed A/H1N1

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment