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Source: http://www.abc2news.com/news/local/...Led-to-Their-Sons/zJ4yr15j1UqgC9oYn6_-Xg.cspx
AA County Parents Say Swine Flu Led to Their Son's Death
Reported by: Christian Schaffer
Email: christian.schaffer@wmar.com
Last Update: 9:51 pm
A young man with big dreams is dead -- and his parents say he's Maryland's latest victim of the h1n1, or swine flu virus.
Walter Brooks died Wednesday morning after a brief illness. He'd been attending Anne Arundel Community College after graduating from North County High School earlier this year.
A Facebook page created in his memory already has more than 1200 members. His parents say he wanted to be an actor. ?He would take over the stage like it was his,? said his father, Walter Brooks, Sr. ?He was the kind of guy that would just bust out in song in the middle of everybody. It didn't matter whether you knew him or you didn't.?
His parents say Walter was never sick -- until he got what appeared to be a cold last weekend. It got worse, quickly. On Tuesday the 13th Walter's temperature was 102. His mother, Denise, took him to the emergency room at Baltimore-Washington Medical Center. ?They said that even if it was the flu that it was too late for them to give him any kind of medication because he had a little bit of symptoms the days before,? she said.
She says doctors did not draw blood, take a chest x-ray or test for the flu. They sent him home with an inhaler and some cough medicine. The next morning, October 14th, Walter was clearly in distress. ?you could hear him having problems breathing; it just didn't seem right,? Denise Brooks said.
This time his mother took him to Harbor Hospital. Doctors tested for the flu and measured the oxygen level in Walter's lungs and his blood. It was extremely low. ?So the doctor turns to us and says, 'Do you really know how sick your kid is,?? she said.
Doctors inserted a tube into Walter's lungs to help him breathe -- and he was rushed to the University of Maryland Hospital. He never recovered. ?We even came down to having to amputate both of his legs yesterday morning; they told us that it gave him a possibility to make it and then last night he just, couldn't do it anymore,? she said.
Doctors told his parents Walter had in fact been infected with the h1n1, or swine flu virus, and it had crippled his immune system -- allowing another infection to take hold. Walter's parents say they hadn't taken the swine flu seriously, until now. ?He was the greatest person i ever knew and he was my son,? Walter Brooks, Sr. said.
His mother added, ?He was amazing. Couldn't ask for a better kid.?
Walter's father says he's hoping to put pressure on politicians to try and make more of the swine flu vaccine available.
AA County Parents Say Swine Flu Led to Their Son's Death
Reported by: Christian Schaffer
Email: christian.schaffer@wmar.com
Last Update: 9:51 pm
A young man with big dreams is dead -- and his parents say he's Maryland's latest victim of the h1n1, or swine flu virus.
Walter Brooks died Wednesday morning after a brief illness. He'd been attending Anne Arundel Community College after graduating from North County High School earlier this year.
A Facebook page created in his memory already has more than 1200 members. His parents say he wanted to be an actor. ?He would take over the stage like it was his,? said his father, Walter Brooks, Sr. ?He was the kind of guy that would just bust out in song in the middle of everybody. It didn't matter whether you knew him or you didn't.?
His parents say Walter was never sick -- until he got what appeared to be a cold last weekend. It got worse, quickly. On Tuesday the 13th Walter's temperature was 102. His mother, Denise, took him to the emergency room at Baltimore-Washington Medical Center. ?They said that even if it was the flu that it was too late for them to give him any kind of medication because he had a little bit of symptoms the days before,? she said.
She says doctors did not draw blood, take a chest x-ray or test for the flu. They sent him home with an inhaler and some cough medicine. The next morning, October 14th, Walter was clearly in distress. ?you could hear him having problems breathing; it just didn't seem right,? Denise Brooks said.
This time his mother took him to Harbor Hospital. Doctors tested for the flu and measured the oxygen level in Walter's lungs and his blood. It was extremely low. ?So the doctor turns to us and says, 'Do you really know how sick your kid is,?? she said.
Doctors inserted a tube into Walter's lungs to help him breathe -- and he was rushed to the University of Maryland Hospital. He never recovered. ?We even came down to having to amputate both of his legs yesterday morning; they told us that it gave him a possibility to make it and then last night he just, couldn't do it anymore,? she said.
Doctors told his parents Walter had in fact been infected with the h1n1, or swine flu virus, and it had crippled his immune system -- allowing another infection to take hold. Walter's parents say they hadn't taken the swine flu seriously, until now. ?He was the greatest person i ever knew and he was my son,? Walter Brooks, Sr. said.
His mother added, ?He was amazing. Couldn't ask for a better kid.?
Walter's father says he's hoping to put pressure on politicians to try and make more of the swine flu vaccine available.
