Central TX Girl, 5, Dies of Flu in Dell's Children's Hospital

[Gert van der Hoek]

Central TX Girl, 5, Dies of Flu

Updated: Friday, 09 Oct 2009,

MIKE STOBBE

The family of 5-year-old Catherine Gibson tells FOX 7 the girl died of the H1N1 swine flu virus on Wednesday. The girl was being treated at Dell Children's Hospital.

Health officials said Friday that 76 children have died of swine flu, including 16 new reports in the past week -- more evidence the new virus is unusually dangerous in kids.

The regular flu kills between 46 and 88 children a year, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.


With swine flu cases increasing throughout most of the country, more deaths are likely, Dr. Anne Schuchat said at a press conference Friday.


She noted that 37 states now are reporting widespread swine flu cases, up from 27 a week ago. A week ago, reports suggested that cases might be leveling off and even decreasing in some areas of the country, but that did not turn out to be an enduring national trend.


"We are seeing more illness, more hospitalizations, and more deaths," said Schuchat, who heads the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.


Meanwhile, CDC officials say states have ordered 3.7 million doses of swine flu vaccine for a campaign that started this week. Demand is exceeding supply, at least so far, and people seeking the vaccination can start by contacting their state or local health department to find out where to go, she said.

http://www.myfoxaustin.com/dpp/health/100909_Central_TX_Girl_5_Dies_of_Flu

[Shiloh]

Re: Central TX Girl, 5, Dies of Flu in Dell's Children's Hospital

Source: http://www.statesman.com/news/conten...0fludeath.html

Tests being done to find out if swine flu was the cause.

By Mary Ann Roser
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Saturday, October 10, 2009

A 5-year-old Austin girl who had prayed every night for the kids at Dell Children's Medical Center died there Wednesday night, apparently from swine flu, her mother said Friday.

Catherine Elizabeth Gibson, a Montessori kindergarten student at the Children's School in Austin, was "always thinking about others" and "was the picture of health" until she fell ill with what doctors told her parents was probably swine flu, said her mother, Kristin Gibson, a program manager at IBM. When Catherine had difficulty speaking, drinking and swallowing on Tuesday, Kristin, 35, and her husband, Ken, 41, a software programmer, took their daughter to the hospital.

Dr. Pat Crocker, chief of emergency medicine at Dell Children's, said Catherine tested positive for the type of virus that is suspected to be swine flu and a confirmatory test is being done. Catherine had no underlying medical conditions but rapidly developed brain swelling and heart dysfunction ? rare complications of the flu, Crocker said.

The hospital reported the death to the Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department, which said it could not comment on the case. If the H1N1 test is confirmed, it would be the fifth swine flu death in Travis County.

Kristin Gibson said she and her husband did not want an autopsy done because "at the end of the day it doesn't matter what happened. We don't have our precious Catherine."

Their daughter, the oldest of three children, took a special interest in sick children at Dell Children's after visiting in August, Kristin Gibson said. During that visit, Catherine donated three presents from her fifth birthday to the hospital so the children would "have something new to play with." After that, the girl prayed for the children at the hospital to get well, her mother said.

"They're the most wonderful normal family that's been rocked by something absolutely inconceivable," said Laura Beck of Austin, godmother to Liam, the younger of the Gibsons' two sons. "They just had their youngest son baptized, and now they're planning the funeral of their oldest child. ... She was a beautiful little girl."

Kristin Gibson said her family has nothing but gratitude for the doctors, nurses and staff at the hospital. "They did everything they could," she said. "I think what happened to Catherine was very rare."

Most people who get the virus recover on their own at home.

To do something positive in their daughter's memory, the Gibsons are setting up an endowment at the hospital to celebrate their daughter's love of reading and concern for the children there: the Catherine Elizabeth Gibson Endowment for Children's Books. Kristin Gibson, a major U2 fan who had tickets with her husband to the band's Dallas concert on Monday, is auctioning off the tickets on eBay to kick off funding for the endowment.

Catherine's funeral is scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Austin.

maroser@statesman.com; 445-3619

[Shiloh]

Re: Central TX Girl, 5, Dies of Flu in Dell's Children's Hospital

Source: http://www.news8austin.com/content/h...255125&SecID=2

5 year-old girl dies from flu
10/10/2009 4:18 PM
By: News 8 Austin Staff

According to a statement from Seton Hospitals, a five-year-old girl died this week from the flu at Dell Children's hospital.

Catherine Gibson was taken to the hospital after two days of flu-like symptoms.

She was admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit where she developed what the statement terms "rare complications that cause swelling of the brain."

She died Wednesday night.

Health officials are still waiting on test results to determine if Catherine had H1N1 flu.

The Gibson family plans to work with Dell Children's Medical Center to set up an endowment in memory of Catherine.


Statement from Seton Family of Hospitals


Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas, a member of the Seton Family of Hospitals, has reported the death of a five-year-old girl to Austin/Travis County health officials.

On Tuesday, Catherine Gibson was brought to the Emergency Department at Dell Children's Medical Center after experiencing flu-like symptoms for 48 hours. She tested positive for Influenza A.

Specific testing to confirm H1N1 is still pending. While in the ED her condition deteriorated and she was admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, where her condition continued to deteriorate.

The child died Wednesday night from possible cardiac dysfunction and encephalitis, a rare complication of the flu that causes swelling of the brain.

The Gibson family would like the community to know that they plan to work with Dell Children's Medical Center to set up an endowment in their daughter's memory. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Gibson family.

Dr. Pat Crocker
Chief of Emergency Medicine
Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas

[Shiloh]

Re: Central TX Girl, 5, Dies of Flu in Dell's Children's Hospital

Source: http://www.kvue.com/news/bergamo/sto...2096c62c4.html

Five-year-old girl may be County's fifth Swine Flu death

07:52 PM CDT on Sunday, October 11, 2009

By JIM BERGAMO
KVUE News

The family of a little girl whose death may be the fifth in Travis County due to Swine Flu, shared their story with KVUE News.

Two-and-a-half months before she came to Dell Children's Medical Center as a patient, Catherine Gibson came to the hospital shortly after her 5th birthday. She gave three presents she had received from her own party to less fortunate children who were staying here.

Her mom says after that night, Catherine began praying for the kids at Dell Children's Medical Center. Now, prayers are being offered up in her memory.

The Gibson family -- dad Ken, mom Kristin, 2-year old Ford and 1-year old Liam is missing one very important family member, 5-year old Catherine. She died late Wednesday night from complications of what doctors suspect was the swine flu.

"I think as a parent anyone can just imagine the absolute horror that we're going through right now and I don't wish this upon anyone," Kristin Gibson said.

Gibson said her daughter loved to read and compliment everyone.

"She was just an amazing little girl who was wise beyond her years," Gibson said.

Gibson said last Monday, Catherine woke up with a fever, a cough and some nausea. Her mom, while aware of the swine flu, didn't suspect anything out of the ordinary. But a day later, Catherine couldn't speak, couldn't swallow and couldn't squeeze her mom's hand when asked. About that time the doctors informed her parents Catherine had tested positive for influenza type A, which can be swine flu.

"They were realizing that something was really wrong and this was not just a matter of her being dehydrated that there was something else terribly wrong," Gibson said.

Catherine died at 11:00 p.m. Wednesday night.

According to Dr. Pat Crocker, Dell Children's Chief of Emergency Medicine, Catherine died from possible cardiac dysfunction and encephalitis, a rare complication of the flu that causes swelling of the brain.

"Then there's the reaction as a mom," said Laura Beck, a family friend and Liam's Godmother.

Beck said she must now explain Catherine's death to her own daughter who was born the same year.

"How do I tell my little girl that she'll never see her friend again, a friend she grew up with and she's five," Beck said.

The Gibson's said the doctors and staff at Dell Children's did everything they could, and they're now working with the hospital to create an endowment fund to help other children. Because Catherine loved to read, they hope the fund will help provide books so that future patients can escape their situation through imagination -- if just for a few moments.

"This is a horrible tragedy and if there's something positive that can come out of this then that's what I would want," Gibson said.

Austin-Travis County health officials are waiting on test results to confirm whether Catherine did indeed die from swine flu.

Catherine's funeral is scheduled for Monday. It is for family and friends only.

To donate to the Catherine Gibson Endowment Fund benefiting the patients at Dell Children's, follow the link in the NewsLinks section of KVUE.com. Select Dell Childrens Medical Center of Central Texas as the category, and enter Catherine Gibson Endowment as the subcategory.