H1N1 victim had bad heart

Spouse says she was already weakened

By Ken Carlson
kcarlson@modbee.com

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One of the two women to succumb to H1N1 influenza in Modesto last week suffered from a serious, chronic heart condition, making her vulnerable to the infection, her husband said Wednesday.

Christina Kennedy, 45, of Ceres died Aug. 26 at Memorial Medical Center from complications of the influenza. She was admitted to the hospital the previous week after coming down with flu symptoms, including a high fever and chills, said husband David Kennedy.

She had been treated for a congenital heart disease in recent years and had been on oxygen at home for a couple of months, he said.

Key Information

H1N1 influenza is contagious. It's mainly spread by coughing or sneezing and infected droplets coming into contact with another person. People also can pick up the virus from a doorknob or other infected surfaces.
- Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue. Patients may have diarrhea and vomiting. Symptoms are usually mild to moderate; most patients fully recover.
TREATMENT
- Rest, stay hydrated and talk with your doctor about a fever reducer or prescription Tamiflu, which can control the virus. Seek immediate medical attention if you or a child have these warning signs:
- In children, fast breathing or trouble breathing; bluish or gray skin color; not drinking enough fluids; severe or persistent vomiting; not waking up or interacting.
- In adults, difficulty breathing; pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen; sudden dizziness; confusion; severe or persistent vomiting.
ON THE NET
- www.stanemergency.com
- www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu
— Source: Stanislaus County Health Services Agency; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1-dose swine flu shots to be OK'd in China

"My wife and I had three desires — to see our three kids graduate from high school, to see her grandbaby born and go to Disneyland," Kennedy said. "She got the first two wishes. She didn't make it to Disneyland."

Kennedy is one of five people in Stanislaus County who've died from H1N1 influenza since July. At least 46 people have been hospitalized. Relatives of Melissia McDaniel of Modesto, who also died Aug. 26 at Memorial, said she had an underlying heart condition that was discovered during treatment, but her condition wasn't as serious.

On Tuesday, the California Department of Public Health updated the statewide H1N1 death toll to 144, up from 128 the previous week. It wasn't a complete count; the state's Web site still showed only three deaths for Stanislaus County and it takes time to update the county tallies.

Christina Kennedy worked for a Ceres towing company until she quit two years ago for health reasons, her husband said.

She and two children, ages 19 and 20, came down with flu symptoms last month. The others recovered in three or four days. Their illnesses never were confirmed as swine flu.

Taken to the hospital Aug. 20, Kennedy was placed in cardiac intensive care and treated for pneumonia and fluid in her lungs, her husband said. It took a few days for a lab test to come back positive for swine flu.

"They didn't immediately treat her for the virus and it wasn't until later that they put her in isolation," Ken-nedy said.

She was sedated and breathed through a ventilator for four days but never recovered, her husband said.

Christina Kennedy worked as a volunteer at the Stanislaus County animal shelter on Finch Road in the late 1990s and taught Sunday school at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ceres. She had two adult sons, a daughter and one grandson.

Bee staff writer Ken Carlson can be reached at kcarlson@modbee.com or 578-2321.