LYNN — The community raised more than $24,000 to cover funeral and memorial costs for Veronica Thach, a 9-year-old girl who died over the weekend from cardiac arrest brought on by severe influenza.
On Monday, Dec. 5, Thach’s mother, Monychenda So, said that her daughter complained that she wasn’t feeling well. So said in a GoFundMe post that her daughter was exhibiting what appeared to be standard flu symptoms.
Over the course of only a few hours, her symptoms worsened dramatically. So brought her daughter to an urgent care center, where she experienced cardiac arrest. After clinicians resuscitated and stabilized her, Thach was transported by helicopter to Boston Children’s Hospital, where she was diagnosed with severe influenza that had attacked her heart.
So said that by Wednesday, Dec. 7, doctors confirmed that Thach, who would have turned 10 in January, had no remaining brain activity and was not likely to survive. At approximately 9:45 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 10, Thach was pronounced dead.
“She’s a sassy little thing but she was also a loving, caring, and smart girl. She is so independent and always wants to do everything on her own. She loves to ask random questions and make random, quirky jokes. Her smile and laugh will always lighten up my day,” So wrote.
By 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 13, Thach’s parents received 508 donations through their GoFundMe page, ranging in quantity from $5 to $1,000, to total $24,282 to cover the family’s medical bills, funeral and memorial arrangements.
“She was such a caring, loving and quirky little girl. Her constant farting and burping, her hilarious deep and forced laugh. I don’t wanna let her go but I don’t want her to suffer anymore. She’s up there with a lot of family,” So wrote in a Facebook post Sunday.
So described Thach as a girl that enjoyed video blogging, was extremely independent, and could be seen smiling, laughing and telling jokes.
“Holidays and birthdays will never be the same anymore. Anyone who knows me and has seen me with her knows that she was [the] light of my life and I lived for her. Nothing will ever be the same,” So said.
