Re: 4th death reported in Cabell County
Mother remembers latest flu victim
October 13, 2009 @ 10:15 PM
CURTIS JOHNSON
The Herald-Dispatch
HUNTINGTON -- Deanna McNeely experienced the joys of church, parenthood and photography. The countless images she captured with her camera provide a lasting memory to a family now coping with her loss after McNeely became the state's fourth H1N1-related death.
Dinah Bragg always believed she would bury her daughter, but she never dreamed influenza would take her last breath. She said the 39-year-old battled several health problems. Doctors had warned that her long bout with epilepsy might cause her to inhale fluid into her lungs.
She was in the hospital for a procedure related to digestive problems and suffered a seizure before the procedure at Cabell Huntington Hospital. She died a day later.
The family had no hint the wife and mother of one had contracted H1N1. Bragg said McNeely showed no flu-like symptoms, but her death certificate listed influenza among the last contributing causes.
"I still can't believe that she had it. It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever," Bragg said. "They're telling me she had it, and I still say she didn't, but who knows. They say she tested positive and that's all I've got to go by. It's history."
Bragg said initial suspicion of H1N1, also referred to as swine flu, was confirmed Friday night with a telephone call to the family from Cabell-Huntington Health Department Director Dr. Harry Tweel.
Each death of the four deaths from the H1N1 flu have occurred in Cabell County.
Bragg described her daughter's life as one of missed opportunities. Multiple health problems prevented McNeely from enjoying the beach and other experiences. She needed a wheelchair or motorized shopping buggy at times.
"She was just a good person," Bragg said. "Her heart was as big as she was. She would have loved to have done so many more things."
Despite her difficulties, McNeely did not live her life in despair, but focused on faith. She attended Milton's Highlawn Avenue Church of God on good days and rested her thoughts on things above every day, Bragg said.
McNeely frequently listened to Christian music. Bragg recalled she would rush into her parent's home and flip their satellite television to preaching.
"She would just want everybody to go to church. If she was here, that's what she would say, 'Go to church and be with Jesus,'" Bragg said.
McNeely graduated from Milton High School in 1989 and moved to her first apartment in 1994. She completed a two-year program at the Victory Bible Training Center in 1997, a former program facilitated by the New Life Church in Huntington.
McNeely married Mark McNeely in September 1999 and gave birth to the couple's only daughter, Angel, in November 2000. The child will be 9 next month. Bragg spoke on their behalf Tuesday morning.
Family members were looking for a specific photograph days ago when they realized the treasure trove McNeely left behind. Bragg explained her daughter photographed everything including "silly stuff," random shots of friends at restaurants and church plays.
"She has albums, after albums, after albums," Bragg said. "Big albums. Little albums. Thousands of pictures, and she's not hardly in any of them."
H1N1 deaths
Deanna McNeely became the state's fourth H1N1-related death on Thursday. Each death has occurred in Cabell County, and state and local officials said they did not know why they've all occurred in one region.
Marsha A. Dadisman, spokeswoman for the state Department of Health and Human Resources, said Cabell, Mercer, Monongalia and other counties are reporting regional outbreaks of H1N1, also referred to as swine flu.
She said state epidemiologists expect West Virginia will report widespread H1N1 influenza soon.
The Cabell-Huntington Health Department confirmed Tuesday a fourth death had occurred. McNeely's name was released by family.
Her death was preceded by Cabell Midland High School student Patrick M. Wheeler Jr., 14; Amy Mischelle Scott, 37, of Chesapeake, Ohio, a worker at a home health services agency; and Michael Bloomfield, 51, of Kanawha County, a hospital emergency room employee.:tiphat:
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/news/x1656916700/Mother-remembers-latest-flu-victim
