January 20, 2020 We want to share our story in case our experience may help others. On January 16, 2020, at about 4:30 a.m., a Thursday, our son Parker Emerson Ashford passed away at the young age of seven. He told us he felt sick on Monday. On Tuesday he complained that his “heart” hurt. We knew he was feeling ill, and thought it was his way of telling us he did not feel good. On Wednesday we took him to see a doctor. He vomited for the first time on the way, and then told the doctor that his chest hurt. We, the doctor included, thought he may have suffered heartburn from vomiting, and that he was only experiencing common flu symptoms. Approximately twelve hours later he died of an apparent heart attack. Other than complaining about his heart, up until Wednesday night his symptoms seemed consistent with the flu as we have all experienced it. He had a mild fever, aches, and was generally not comfortable. Wednesday night his fever broke and he began to cool rapidly—so much that his extremities became cool to the touch. As hard as we tried we could not warm him up. Early in the morning he got up to use the restroom, came back to rest in the living room, gave out a cry, and was still. That was the last time we know for sure his heart was still beating. Despite immediately calling 911, following the dispatcher’s instructions, and rushing him to the hospital less than 10 minutes away, there was nothing we or the medical staff could do to save him. We considered ourselves diligent and caring parents, and were wary of the annual flu virus. We had our flu shots and so did Parker. We took him to the doctor when it was clear he was not feeling well, but we trusted the doctor’s diagnosis and did not insist on a test to confirm what precisely he suffered from. We still do not know what it was, and it may take weeks for the Lane County medical examiner to determine the cause. In the meantime we want other parents to know exactly what we experienced in those last days and hours, so that if at all possible, the same thing does not happen to another family. Since Parker’s death, the community has been overwhelmingly supportive. We have also heard from other parents in the community who took their children to the doctor at the first sign of the flu and insisted on a viral test. Some children tested positive for influenza A, which we understand does not carry life-threatening risk. We have also learned that, as of January 20, at least five other children from his school have visited a doctor or the emergency room and been diagnosed with the flu or other “flulike” symptoms. As much as we hope this was an isolated incident, we are deeply concerned that it may not be. We are not medical professionals, so we urge parents to consult medical professionals at the first sign of illness, and to insist on a viral test to see if your child is carrying an uncomfortable but harmless annual bug, or whether further evaluation is needed. We don’t know now whether what happened to Parker was preventable and we don’t know if it was the result of some problem unique to his health. Until we do know, we hope to find at least some comfort in knowing that if it was preventable, other families may benefit from learning about our experience. Jeff and Shauna Ashford, Eugene, Oregon