A 20-year-old mother, Alani “Joie” Murrieta, from Arizona, passed away days after becoming ill over Thanksgiving weekend. What was originally perceived as the flu since most of her family members also experienced cold-like symptoms, would instead develop into something much worse.
Instead of recovering like everyone else, Murrieta’s condition got worse by the hour. She passed away one day after getting diagnosed with the flu at an urgent care clinic.
She got an antiviral medication called Tamiflu from doctors, but Murrieta’s health would continue to deteriorate throughout the night. She spent the greater part of the night coughing and spitting out blood, having a hard time breathing by morning.
At the Banner Estrella Medical Center, tests showed how dangerously low her oxygen levels were. She developed a lung-infection – Pneumonia.
As more fluid built up in her lungs, doctors were quick in giving her a dosage of intravenous antibiotics before Murrieta passed out. Her heart stopped as she was transported towards the ICU, but doctors were able to resuscitate her.
As staff worked hard in order to place her on a ventilator, her heart stopped once more. Doctor’s weren’t able to bring her back a second time.
“We just thought they’d give her antibiotics, she would be fine, and we would tell her how crazy it all was later on. My sister and I just thought she would pull through and get better,” Murrieta’s aunt, Stephanie Gonzales, told PEOPLE. “As they tried to resuscitate her for the second time, we kept telling her to be strong, to fight, fight for the boys and just come back to us.”
“She was a beautiful person, she was caring and loving and always there for others,” her friend Vanessa Flores-Aguirre said. “It was really hard for me. I spoke to her sister and she told me it was true, that she was gone,” Aguirre further states.
“I broke down, it felt so unreal. I can´t describe how close we were. We used to be together every single day.”
Close family and friends were devastated. “It gets harder every day for me. She’ll never walk in through my door again, or call me auntie,” Gonzales cried out “I’ll never have that again and it breaks my heart.”
Influenza cases have spread over the country, with more than double from 2016 reported this season. Deaths provoked by influenza have also grown, and although the exact number is difficult to know, experts estimate the deaths range from 12,000 in 2012 to 56,000 in 2013.
This case in particular, however, is unusual in the fact that Murrieta was only 20-years-old. Such is the opinion of Professor Robert Lamb, a Northwestern University biochemist who studies the influenza virus. Lamb underlines the importance of getting a flu vaccination.
“The best advice you can give anybody is to tell them to get vaccinated,” he says.
In order to cover funeral costs, the family set up a GoFundMe page. It will also help her two young sons, a 2-year-old and a 6-month-old.
“Alani was a great mother, daughter, sister, niece, and friend,” Gonzales says. “She was loud, energetic and always ready for an adventure. We´re devastated she is gone but we´re amazed by the number of people who loved her as much as we do.”
“Joie was a beautiful person and she had a beautiful soul,” Aguirre says. “She was the type of person that if anyone else needed help, she would be the person to help out and be there for others.”
This article was inspired by PEOPLE HUMAN INTEREST // 20-Year-Old Arizona Mother Dies One Day After Flu Diagnosis: ‘We’re Devastated,’ Says Family