Oklahoma boy, 13, known for his 'sweet smile', dies four days after being diganosed with RSV
EL RENO, OKLAHOMA: A 13-year-old boy died just days after he was diagnosed with the respiratory syncytial virus, leaving his family shocked and devastated.
Daniel Maifield, from El Reno, was first diagnosed with RSV at an urgent care unit on Saturday, November 12, but he progressively got sicker and started having trouble breathing. His family then rushed him to the City Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on Wednesday, November 16. Maifield, a seventh-grader at Etta Dale Junior High School, even had an autoimmune deficiency disorder, his grieving family revealed.
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His death has left his family and friends devastated. He was one of the only boy in his large, blended family, and he was quite the daredevil with a passion for riding dirt bikes. "I missed when he annoyed me all the time," Maifield's sister Kambry said, according to KOCO news 5. “Every time when I would see him weak, it would make me so sad for him. He would get so weak that he could barely talk… like his tongue was swollen. You could barely understand what he said,” she added.
El Reno Public Schools officials also mourned the teenager's death and remembered him as a boy with a “sweet smile”. "Common sentiments from the many staff members that he encountered through the years included his sweet smile, how he made them laugh, and mostly they will miss his hugs. He made an impact on our staff and students and will be greatly missed," A Facebook post from them read.
The school district even had their crisis team at the middle school all week to offer mental support to the students and the staffers. "He always wanted to make people laugh and smile," Superintendent Matt Goucher reportedly said, adding, "He was just one of those special students that have affected all of us greatly."
The young boy's family held a service at 11 am on Saturday, November 19, at Huber-Benson Funeral Home. As a tribute to Maifield, a dirt bike procession will lead the hearse to the cemetery.
This is not the only life RSV claimed. Earlier, the California Department of Public Health reported the first death of a child under the age of five from flu and RSV. “This tragic event serves as a stark reminder that respiratory viruses can be deadly, especially in very young children and infants,” State Public Health Officer and CDPH Director Dr Tomás Aragón reportedly said. “We are entering a busy winter virus season – with RSV, flu, and Covid-19 spreading – and urge parents and guardians to vaccinate their children as soon as possible against flu and Covid-19," he added.