FFF Advocate:

Christina Granack, mother

Place of Residence:

Glassboro, NJ

Date of Death:

December 28, 2019; 4-years-old

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Julianna Joan Spencer

Within minutes of arriving at the hospital, Julianna’s heart stopped beating. 

Julianna’s Flu Illness
Julianna had a smile that would light up a room and she brought so much joy to her family. She had recently celebrated her 4^th birthday and her favorite things included playing with baby dolls, her tablet, and climbing trees.

On December 27, 2019, Julianna’s parents took her to urgent care because she had a fever, was severely tired, and was throwing up. Her mother describes her state that day as “pale and lifeless” in contrast to her usual happy and active self. She wasn’t tested, but it was assumed she had flu. When they returned home later that day, Julianna’s fever finally broke and her parents put her to bed so she could rest.

When Flu Turned Into an Emergency
After Julianna went to sleep, her parents were concerned and checked on her at 2:00 AM. They went into her room and she appeared to be doing well, so they let her go back to sleep. Her parents returned at 3:00 AM and found that Julianna’s state had rapidly deteriorated. She was unresponsive, her eyes were shaking back and forth, and her pulse was slow. It appeared that Julianna was having a seizure, but she was still breathing.

Her parents called an ambulance and the paramedics administered medication in an attempt to control her seizure. When they arrived at the hospital, the staff rushed her into a pediatric emergency room to intubate her, place lines to administer medication, run bloodwork, and measure her vitals.

Flu Death
Within just minutes of arriving at the hospital, the staff called a “code blue” because Julianna’s heart had stopped beating. Her parents were forced out of the room and dozens of nurses and doctors rushed in to revive her. Despite all efforts, they were unable to restart her heart. Julianna’s flu illness had progressed so rapidly that the medical staff was unable to save her life. They indicated she had a 107-degree fever, high potassium in her blood, and experienced multiple organ failures.

She passed away at the hospital on December 28, 2019, just one day after first showing flu-like symptoms. The medical examiner tested her body and found that she was positive for influenza A. 

The Importance of Community Immunity
Although Julianna had received an annual flu vaccine in October 2019, to protect public health it requires the vast majority of the population to be vaccinated because the more people that are vaccinated, the less the disease can spread. This concept is called community immunity. Sadly, flu vaccination rates in the U.S. are below target thresholds for both children and adults, so community immunity is not reached. 

To honor Julianna, her parents share her story to raise awareness and educate others about the potential complications of flu and how quickly it can adversely affect children. 

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