In the early morning hours of February 2, 9-year-old Makenzie Gongora of San Antonio, Texas died unexpectedly after being kept in bed by her mother, Kristle Gongora. In interviews with TODAY, members of both sides of her family say she died three days after testing positive for COVID-19.
Makenzie’s father’s sister, Erica Gongora from Austin, Texas, told TODAY that Makenzie complained that she had a very serious headache and stomach ache when she was in aftercare on January 29th. she had a fever.
According to Victoria Southworth, 37, Makenzie’s maternal aunt, in Boonville, Missouri, Makenzie’s mother took her to Brooke Army Medical Center to get a COVID-19, stripe and flu test later that day. While the streak and flu tests were negative, the COVID-19 test was positive.
“Kenzie had no breathing problems,” Southworth said. “There was nothing important going on. All the symptoms were mild. ”
Gongora said TODAY: “The doctors told my sister-in-law (to) take her home and to make her comfortable, to monitor her fever and whether it was over a certain point, or if there were other major problems, to continue and bring her back to the hospital. ”
“There was no difficulty breathing or anything like that at that point,” Gongora added.
Both aunts say that Makenzie’s symptoms kept coming through the weekend and that everything was generally manageable and that she did the right thing.
On February 1, Gongora recalls that Makenzie started complaining near bedtime that she was feeling very exhausted. She went to bed early in the evening. “My sister-in-law looked at her later that night and realized she could no longer breathe and could not find a pulse,” she said.
Makenzie’s family revealed that they were not aware of the underlying conditions she had, but noted that Makenzie was a bit small for her age.
Makenzie’s school district in Northside, Texas, addressed her death in a statement to TODAY on behalf of her school, Scarborough Elementary.
“The community of Scarborough Primary School is saddened by the loss of fourth grade Makenzie Gongora,” the statement said. “We think of her family during this very difficult time.”
Her family is remembered as a bright, young lady who was full of life, and Makenzie loved to cook and dress up and play Roblox, a user-generated gaming platform.
Shortly after Makenzie’s death, Southworth created a GoFundMe campaign that had already raised more than $ 60,000. According to the fundraiser, she died on the birthday of her father, Nathan Gongora.
Both aunts said that COVID-19 tests were administered later in the afternoon on the day of Makenzie’s death, and that her father and the 8-year-old sister’s sister returned positive.
In addition to trying to manage their grief, Makenzie’s parents also want to do everything in their power to ensure that they do not lose their second child to the virus, according to Gongora.
Makenzie’s family is currently awaiting further information on her cause of death. According to both parents’ sisters, her body was sent to a laboratory in Dallas, Texas, to be examined. An autopsy is still pending.
“Hopefully this will give us the answer as to whether it is completely COVID related, or exacerbated by COVID or having nothing to do with COVID,” Southworth said TODAY.
Gongora added: “We just want to know if anything else could have been done that could have saved her life?”
After the autopsy results arrive, Makenzie’s body will be returned to San Antonio. After completing the quarantine, her family plans to bury her at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery. TODAY verified that Makenzie was unable to be an organ donor for COVID-19 reasons. According to LifeSource, a non-profit organ donation, if someone has an active COVID-19 infection or dies from it, is excluded from becoming an organ, eye and tissue donor.
The aunts of Makenzie want her story to make them aware that although children usually do not have serious illness due to COVID-19, they can become seriously ill.
“(Makenzie’s parents) followed all the guidelines they gave of the doctors, and the doctors were also surprised that Makenzie was one of the children taken by COVID,” Gongora said.
