Girl Dies From Severe Flu Complications Four-year-old Elora Ann Rudd passed away after the flu caused a stroke.
A Holiday Illness
Elora Ann Rudd became sick during the holidays. The virus spread through her family in Utah.
Her parents took her to McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden. Doctors diagnosed her with the flu and adenovirus.
Severe Medical Complications
The young girl was not vaccinated against the flu. Her oxygen levels became very low.
Then, she developed pneumonia and sepsis. Medical teams flew her to a specialist children’s hospital.
A Devastating Discovery
Ellie spent four days in the intensive care unit. Later, a scan showed she had suffered a stroke.
“They wouldn’t be able to fix it, so we made the decision to take her off life-support and she passed.”
Ellie died on January 6. Her parents described her as a sweet and nurturing girl.
Rising Hospital Rates
Flu cases are rising across the United States. Weekly hospitalizations went up 53 percent recently.
Many cases involve a “super flu” strain. However, federal officials recently changed the vaccine schedule.
Now, the US does not recommend annual flu shots for all children. Meanwhile, Utah reports over 700 flu-related hospital stays this season.
Finally, a fundraiser is helping the family with costs. They remember Ellie for her love of dance parties.
