GREEN BAY (NBC 26) — It’s the news you never want to hear, especially around the holidays: “It is with deep sadness that we are sharing with you the news of the death of a Bay Port High School student.”
Ava Schmidt is a beloved sister, friend, daughter, dancer, and 14-year-old.
According to the Wisconsin Department of Health, Ava is one of only two pediatric deaths due to influenza this year.
“We are announcing that there have only been two cases so far, but that is two too many,” says the Wisconsin Department of Health Influenza surveillance coordinator Tom Haupt.
Tributes on social media tell the story of Ava’s life through pictures, comments, and memories. A true testament to how loved Ava was.
According to the Go Fund Me, Friends of hers, her parents, and complete strangers have commented, reposted, and given to her cause. So much so that they have raised 11x their goal.
The GoFundme post mentions how the family is hoping to create a scholarship with Ava’s remembrance.
Bay Port High School has mentioned that the non-profit grief center Unity Hospice in Green Bay will be offering to counsel those affected by this tragedy.
“It's never a good time to hear that someone that you love has died. Whether it is expected or unexpected, there is never a good time, there is never a good way. The holidays can be extra difficult because we have these expectations and these hopes and these traditions of what this time of the year is," says Grief Director at Unity Hospice Jenny Boeckman.
To learn more on how influenza is prevented, click HERE, to give to Ava's GoFundMe, visit,www.gofundme.com.
