Durham elementary school student dies from coronavirus
An elementary school student from Durham has died from coronavirus complications, her friends and principal announced, marking the state’s first reported child fatality in the pandemic.
Aurea Soto Morales died at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill Monday, said Oscar Henriquez, who organized a Gofundme page to support the family.
Creekside Elementary released a statement on its homepage: “Our whole Creekside community’s heart is broken over the loss of one of our wonderful students, who was a shining light wherever she went. Even though we must remain physically distant due to COVID-19, we are still reaching out to support our children, families, and staff during this difficult time.”
Henriquez originally started the gofundme post as Morales was fighting a COVID infection, which he said caused brain swelling and put her in a coma. The page drew more than $12,000 in donations.
“Our hearts go out to the Soto Family during this extremely difficult time,” he wrote, “and we pray they remain strong and find peace. Thank you to everyone that has donated, I know the Soto Family will need all the help they can get.”
NC DHHS reported 939 deaths from coronavirus statewide as of midday Wednesday. Of those, the youngest victims were aged 25 to 49, which represents 5% of the total. Most of the reported deaths in the state, 63%, have been 75 and older.
How to donate
Donate to the gofundme for the Soto family here.
This story was originally published June 3, 2020 at 1:07 PM.