Texas teen with no underlying disease fighting for her life after COVID-19 diagnosis
A 13-year-old is in the hospital fighting for her life after being diagnosed with COVID-19.
The family of Alina Valenzuela said they are in disbelief because she is an active, healthy young woman with no underlying health conditions.
"She's just so, she's so full of life. She's loud. She's funny. She's spunky," said her aunt Miriam Trevino.
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But the seventh-grader is unconscious and intubated at Texas Children's Hospital after being transported from San Antonio to Houston on Jan. 15.
Trevino said her niece went into cardiac arrest after first complaining about chest pain. She said doctors have now diagnosed the seventh-grader with myocarditis, which is an inflammation of the heart, and doctors said it was caused by the coronavirus.
"Her heart is not working at all right now on its own," said Trevino. "They told us they're linking everything to the COVID-19."
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Trevino said her niece's declining health came on rapidly and just days after playing in a basketball game for her school.
The teen is the captain of her volleyball team, has no underlying health conditions and never showed the classic symptoms of COVID-19, but tested positive at the hospital.
"It's hard for us to understand and comprehend what's going on because she is so energetic and athletic, and never has been a sick child," said Trevino.
Her family told ABC13 the teen has gone through two heart surgeries in just the last few days. The first surgery was to install a small heart pump and then a stent.
"This [COVID-19] is real and it's changing," said her family as a message to others "The symptoms are changing and we have to be aware and watch out for anything unusual."
Her family said this bright young woman is a fighter and they are now praying she will pull through.
There is a GoFundMe account set up to help the family as they incur medical and travel expenses.
