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Gemma Boelho had the flu—or at least, that’s what her mother Lejla thought.
One day, Gemma was tired, and had a slight fever.
Her mom kept her home from school, and gave her medicine to help her fever.
They spent the day like any kid home from school would. They watched cartoons and read books.
The next day, Gemma went back to school. She was fine, and performed in her school’s Christmas play. But the day after her play, her parents noticed something was very wrong.
“The way she spoke to us, how she was trying to say something was wrong, she never spoke to us in that tone before,” said her father, Alex. “The helplessness in her face, that was meaningful.”
Her hands and feet were cold, she had a rash all over her body, and she was pale.
Instead of going to their pediatrician, Gemma’s parents took her straight to the ER.
Her heart rate was dangerously low. Doctors tried to revive her for 45 minutes. But her heart hadlost the ability to pump on its own.
“We heard beeping, and then no beeping. She was just flatlining. We really felt that we had lost her,” said Lejla.
Gemma was experiencing cardiac arrest. She was in cardiac arrest for 45 minutes, and her parents were afraid.
But luckily, after these 45 minutes, her heart started beating again.
On December 22, her doctors believed she’d be fine without life support.
Doctors aren’t sure if she’ll suffer any negative effects from the cardiac arrest, but things look good. Her parents are very grateful to have her back.
Believe it or not, cardiac arrest is a complication of the flu.
“Some children, like Gemma, develop a rash or cold hands and feet, or feel better and then get worse. Other children have difficulty breathing,” said her doctor. So if you spot any uncommon symptoms, take them seriously.
