A teenage cheerleader who died unexpectedly after being diagnosed with the flu had intermittent asthma and seasonal allergies, according to the Medical Examiner's autopsy.
Jennifer Wood, 14, of Descanso, left Granite Hills High School early on April 4. She told her mother she had a sore throat and it hurt when she coughed, according to the Medical Examiner's report. She was also wheezing and tired.
Her mother took her to the San Diego Naval Medical Center and the Children’s Primary Care Medical Group, where doctors diagnosed her with Influenza B and laryngitis, according to the autopsy.
Doctors prescribed her several medications and advised her to stay home from school until her fever was gone.
Wood rested at home the next day. Before going to bed, she took an Ibuprofen.
Later that night, Wood woke up with a 102-degree fever and nausea, according to the ME. She started coughing up blood.
Her mother called the hospital, but a nurse said a minimal amount of blood in phlegm is normal and to keep checking on her, according to the ME's report.
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The next morning Wood, while coughing, went to use the bathroom.
She collapsed twice and told her mother she was too weak to stand, according to the ME. Then she collapsed again and became unresponsive.
Her parents called 911 and performed CPR, and Wood was taken to the hospital where she was pronounced dead after first responders performed CPR.
According to the autopsy, Wood did not smoke or do drugs. She was generally seen as healthy.
She died of natural causes, the ME ruled.
Approximately 36,000 people die from the flu each year in the U.S., according to Harvard Health.
Wood's family held a fundraiser on May 20 to raise money to create a scholarship in her name. A Gofundme page has been set up for the scholarship.
