A San Bernadino mother is issuing a strong warning to other parents after the death of her 7-year-old son following a flu-related condition.
According to the boy’s mother, Juanita Vidana, the sickness started on New Year’s Eve when her son, Cisco Galvez, began experiencing breathing problems.
She said she immediately took him to the emergency room where they found a waiting room full of sick people.
“It was full of people coughing and sneezing – everybody was there for the flu basically,” Vidana said. “It happened so fast, in days, in a matter of days. I never expected it. He was very healthy.”
Vidana said doctors initially thought the struggles with breathing were related to Cisco’s asthma. He was then treated and released.
But on Wednesday, Cisco’s condition worsened when he spiked a fever, began experiencing extreme fatigue, and a terrible stomach ache.
That’s when they went back to the E.R.
“He said, ‘Mom, I just want to go home and sleep on the couch. I want to lay and stretch my legs. I love you.’ I told him I loved him and that I would bring him home as soon as they gave him the medicine and he was better,” Vidana said.
But Juanita’s worse fears were soon realized. Cisco did not get better.
“They were going to send him to the ICU in Loma Linda and he didn’t make it,” his mother said.
The cause?
Myocarditis, a heart condition which often results from the flu, according to Dr. Adrian Cotton at Loma Linda University Health.
“It’s a very well-known complication of influenza. Again, it doesn’t happen very often, but when it happens it’s very bad,” he said. Adding, “most people think of the flu as a cold, you know, ‘I’m going to get over it.’ Hopefully, people get over it but not everybody does.”
Cotton says that this is the worst flu season in 15 to 20 years. In just a few weeks, it’s now widespread in almost every state in the U.S.
Cisco’s family set up a GoFundMe account. They said he was a good student with a big smile who was always there for his sisters.
“He would always want the best for me and my sister and the baby,” his sister said.
A day after Cisco’s death, Vidana was back in urgent care with her 9-year-old daughter and 5-month-old son, who both showed flu-like symptoms. She said she wanted to be on the safe side because her kids did not get flu shots this year.
If you believe you or your children are suffering from the flu, get treated as soon as possible.
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