Tulsa World: Little angel another fatality of swine flu

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Little angel another fatality of swine flu
The 2-year-old boy was buried with his favorite blanket.

Drake Eli Hall Courtesy

By KIM ARCHER World Staff Writer
Published: 11/15/2009 2:24 AM
Last Modified: 11/15/2009 4:04 AM

Just as he slept in life, 2-year-old Drake Eli Hall's body was lowered into the ground with his beloved yellow blanket called "Lovey" covering his cherubic face.

His mother, Jennifer Hall, tucked one of his pacifiers beside him in the tiny casket.

"For all the pain that boy went through, he was the happiest little thing," she said.

Born prematurely with a heart condition called hydrops fetalis, Drake's lungs weren't fully developed. His heart condition improved over time, but his lung condition never did. His body was constantly fighting recurrent bouts of pneumonia.

It was another bout of the chronic lung infection that took the Webbers Falls youngster back to his second home at St. John Medical Center's pediatric intensive care unit in mid-October. Nearly two weeks later, he had improved and was set to go home when his oxygen levels began to drop. He was put on a ventilator.

The boy, whom nurses affectionately called "Chicken Little" because of his round face, glasses and a big curl atop his head, had contracted the novel H1N1 flu virus. A week later on Oct. 29, Drake died surrounded by his family and many of the nurses who loved him.

"He just didn't have the lung capacity to fight that off," said Jennifer Hall. "Drake was in and out of the hospital so much, my brain still tells me he's there."

Drake is among nine Oklahoma children who have lost their lives to complications from the swine flu. Those with underlying conditions like Drake are at higher risk of developing complications or dying from the new flu, although increasingly more healthy people are succumbing to the virus, health officials say.

Because of his weakened immune system, Drake spent most of his life either at home or in the hospital and rarely went outside, said his mother. He was fed mostly through a feeding tube, called a mickey button, and was on oxygen around the clock. His body retained fluid constantly, the reason for his round cheeks and belly.

"He was pretty much homebound. He never stepped foot in a Walmart or a grocery store. I have to admit I did take him to a couple of my nieces' basketball games. He just loved basketball and football," Hall said.

Drake is the second son the Halls have buried. The first, Kayne, died shortly after birth. She said her 5-year-old daughter, Kimber, has been "playing" with her brothers the last few days.

"She has seen more death in her five years than most adults," she said.

On Wednesday, Justin and Jennifer Hall took some of Drake's toys and clothes to donate to the St. John unit where he had spent so much time.

Nurses Sharon Hinds and Kristina Baugess were two of the tot's primary nurses and were there to greet the Halls. The cart was filled with boxes and bags of toys, books and clothing. On one end was a child's recliner Jennifer Hall had purchased for Drake. It still had the tags on it because he never got to use it.

As Jennifer Hall unloaded each toy, the group reminisced about Drake.

"He was very social," said Hinds. "If anybody was happening by, he would capture you with his smile."

Baugess remembered how he loved to ride the unit's toy rocking horse while wearing his cowboy hat.

"He loves the trash cans," she said, recalling how he loved the crinkly sound of the plastic liners.

"He was a pistol," Hinds said. "And he was quite a little blessing."

On the day he died, Jennifer Hall had driven back home to pick up her daughter from school. She had dropped Drake's clothing off at home, then got the call from the hospital that he was dying.

Nurses from both the pediatric and neonatal intensive care units took turns sitting at his bedside, while others resuscitated him until the family arrived. After his passing, another critically ill child's mother gave the Halls one of her own child's outfits.

"She gave us an outfit to dress him in so he wouldn't leave the hospital naked," Hall said.

At Drake's graveside service, the Halls asked that the casket be opened so the wind could drift across his face, something he rarely felt in life. Mourners sang the boy's favorite song, "Clap, clap, clap your hands. Wave them in the breeze . . ."

Not one eye was dry.

"He really touched our lives," said Hinds. "He was very much a little light."

A note for Drake

Do not be sad for me
for I am free
I can walk, I can run
and i can breathe
I no longer have to
watch the breeze go by
it’s here with me as
I soar through the sky
no more tubes or cords
to hold me back
Look at me
I can have a snack
Kayne and I are playing
poppa Joe is up here too
We’re keeping a lookout
for granny reheard’s shoe
We’re all safe now
your lives must go on
and we’ll wait for you
in the Lord’s great beyond.

Kim Archer 581-8315
kim.archer@tulsaworld.com By KIM ARCHER World Staff Writer

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Some reader comments for this story were copied from "SUNDAY: Young H1N1 victim died surrounded by love," which was published on 11/14/2009.

	Report Comment Proud Muslim, Tulsa: Coolest place in the world (almost) (11/14/2009 4:07:06 PM) So sad. It's always heartbreaking when a child dies. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family.
	Report Comment Milo, PoDunk (11/14/2009 4:24:06 PM) My prayers added for family... Look at that adorable face!! Heartbreaking!
	Report Comment Bullhead, - (11/14/2009 4:33:10 PM) Great looking fellow. God's holding him tight now. God bless the family.
	Report Comment Elusive, the burbs (11/14/2009 4:37:09 PM) God bless the family in their time of sorrow. I'm sure they feel blessed to have had him for the 2 beautiful years they had him. What a little angel.
	Report Comment PAN, (11/15/2009 6:16:04 AM) My eyes are not dry, either. Bless this little angel, his family and all those who loved him and cared for him. This is SO HARD when it is a little child - just so hard and sad to read. God blessings to all.
	Report Comment Bettysenior, (11/15/2009 9:09:57 AM) I am afraid it is the situation of not letting the virus jump into humans in the first place and everyone appears to miss this point completely. In the tropics and other areas of the world where the killer pandemic virus will no doubt emerge and where it is very cold through the night, farmers sleep with pigs and chickens etc, etc, etc. Therefore as the animals, especially pigs are incubators for most of the possible killer viruses, the farmers are breathing in night-after-night a concoction of air borne viruses and mixing in the human lungs and breathing/throat tract. When man becomes infected with human flu, the whole thing is mixing all together for 8 hours on average every night. This is one of the main reasons why avian and swine jump into man. Stop these simple things happening and the virus will have very little chance to spread into humans – you need very close contact for the initial killer virus to become infected into humans in this respect. After that the person infected can easily transmit via cough, sneezes etc, etc to other unsuspecting humans. It is therefore the initial stages that are so vital. The only element therefore needed in many ways, is that we give these millions and millions of farmers, cheap heaters to keep them and their families warm throughout the cold nights. Then they would not sleep with the pigs, chickens et al. Indeed you take the source away from the jump into humans (nightly incubation that goes on every night) and if people know anything about these viruses they will know that they need a mixing vessel where all three viruses exist together. Vaccination of the livestock is also one of the other preventative measures. Put these two together plus other simple methods and the virus can hardly jump or exist in humans as it has not the incubation period to do so – the innovation chain is broken. Indeed, the transmission is extremely low if at all – as the problem is eradicated at source and it never happens. But again because there are not billions in profits for this field work for pharmaceutical corporations, no one wishes to listen, not even politicians as the drug’s lobby group is so powerful that it strikes all other alternatives down – even if they are the true solution to the problem. It is estimated that all these preventative methods would cost around £50 billion to put in place and which is a very small price to prevent the hundreds of millions that will die once the real killer virus does raise its ugly head (as it will some day) and the financial costs and damage economically to the world are vast; far , far more than £50 billion as the whole system could well collapse. You will never quicken the lead-time quick enough for any antidote, even if we had an antidote that was safe within 1-month. The reason, the logistics in manufacturing and then distribution would take at least 6 months in the quantities needed (billions of doses) to get to the very first few. For if people did not know also, the 1918 Spanish flu that killed between 20 and 100 million did its worst in the first 6-months of the start of the outbreak. Indeed, from week 16 > Week 26. We have been lucky in the near past that the virus have not been easily transmitted to humans. But when the killer virus does appear that can easily jump into humans, the drugs strategy will be absolutely useless. People should therefore really use their common sense here for their family’s and loved one’s sake and see clearly that this drugs strategy has not a cat in hell’s chance of working when the thing is with us. Then it will definitely be too late for hundreds of millions of people who will inevitably die – it may even be over 1–billion deaths as some people estimate. Dr David Hill (Cont.)
	Report Comment Bettysenior, (11/15/2009 9:10:22 AM) Dr David Hill (Cont.) I finish by quoting the old adage that 'Prevention is better than cure’ and where this has always been the primary consideration of health professionals. This has to be the hallmark statement also to stop the eventual killer virus happening. Why treat the condition when you should never let it start. Unfortunately we have thrown this well established and primary medical understanding of human health out of the window. Dr David Hill World Innovation Foundation Charity Bern, Switzerland
	Report Comment scooter2, (11/15/2009 9:18:50 AM) The absolute worst call you can get. Then some other people think they got problems. God Bless this family with peace.
	Report Comment owassoRN, (11/15/2009 10:11:20 AM) thank you for this wonderful story kim. god bless this family and all of the nurses, doctors and other who took care of this little angel. can we just keep this comment board on a possitive note for once and let it be what it should be, a possitive tribute to Drake. so those who take this forum to spew hate and negative comments take another path today, please.
	Report Comment ranay22, Ponca City (11/15/2009 10:37:23 AM) Sounds like this baby was blessed with many that surrounded him. I can see why. That picture speaks a million words. I can already tell you, That is a strong family to have endured so much.
	Report Comment Few Clothes, America (11/15/2009 12:10:40 PM) This little face breaks my heart that he's gone. Good bless his soul and god bless the Hall family.
	Report Comment Bonasera the Undertaker, Brooklyn (11/15/2009 12:37:57 PM) There are simply not enough words for this little trooper and his brave family. I need Kleenex - a whole box.
	Report Comment Bonasera the Undertaker, Brooklyn (11/15/2009 12:40:08 PM) A postscript - Miss Archer, this is one of the most poignant human interest articles I have ever read! Thank you for what had to be a very difficult piece.
	Report Comment owl, Tulsa (11/15/2009 1:33:43 PM) Poor child got the swine flu while in the hospital. I know so many now who have contracted nasty infections while hospitalized. You have to assume that medical staff fails to follow basic, preventive, procedures, although that may not apply in the case of H1N1 which was probably carried in by a visitor. Son was in hospital recently and I cleaned tv remote, phone, bed rails, bathroom faucets, etc with disinfecting wipes. Cleaning staff came in several times during his stay but never once addressed those surfaces.
	Report Comment owl, Tulsa (11/15/2009 1:37:01 PM) And yes, extremely touching story - only have to see the photo to know he was a darlin' boy.
	Report Comment Thunder196, Tulsa (11/15/2009 2:33:55 PM) How does someone do a story like this, do you hide in secret while writing it, do you become over whelmed by the grief someone is now dealing with. I know my heart aches for this family. I'm sure a lot of people reached for the Kleenex from the very beginning of this story being researched, to us who are now reading it. . Thank you for writing it. I don't know that I would have been able to do it.
	Report Comment Thunder196, Tulsa (11/15/2009 2:37:31 PM) What a beautiful looking boy. You can tell he was loved so very much, he just glowed with it.
	Report Comment Few Clothes, America (11/15/2009 3:42:54 PM) Good advice for everyone owl. Thanks for posting.
	Report Comment Democrat, Tulsa County (11/15/2009 3:46:35 PM) Few Clothes: Go back to the "alliance seeks turkey donation..." story and tell me what denominations those food stamps were that were used in a store last night. Also tell me what store accepted food stamps last night to sell turkeys, hams, and roasts. Please provide the name and address of that store.
	Report Comment Corvetteguy, Tulsa (11/15/2009 4:20:20 PM) May our Lord give comfort to this grieving family.... What a terrible loss... of this little angel.
	Report Comment ICU-RN, Tulsa (11/15/2009 4:26:02 PM) My heart is broken for the family. What a beautiful little boy. Rest in peace sweetheart.
	Report Comment FUTURE WORLD, Tulsa (11/15/2009 4:38:39 PM) It's when the light ends for the little ones that we all come together to express our sorrow as a community. My condolences to this boys family and may all find peace.
	Report Comment rockfan, broken arrow (11/15/2009 4:53:09 PM) RIP little guy.
	Report Comment Nickie, (11/15/2009 5:04:17 PM) Condolences to the family.
	Report Comment FS, Broken Arrow (11/15/2009 7:39:36 PM) This is a shame - all that much more reason to get help if this flu is suspected. It seems to target the weak.

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