JACKSONVILLE, Fla. —
Family tells Action News Jax Deaurra Nealy, 8, died Saturday of multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C).
Nealy was in the second grade at Twin Lakes Academy Elementary.
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The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says many children who develop MIS-C have either had the coronavirus, or were around someone with COVID-19.
Her father, Dearick Nealy, tells Action News Jax her smile would always brighten the room. He reflected on some of his favorite memories of his daughter.
“Just how much she would tell me she loved me. I mean that was just a constant. You know, that was always something that she would just say, ‘I love you.’ just, out of the blue,” he said.
He tells Action News Jax his little girl never showed symptoms of COVID-19.
“She was asymptomatic, so we never knew. The only way we found out was by doing the blood antigen test and it came saying that she had COVID. She passed the first COVID testing they actually gave her,” he said.
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The CDC says symptoms for MIS-C include fever, abdominal pain, and rash, among others.
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“Multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) is a condition where different body parts can become inflamed, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes, or gastrointestinal organs,” the CDC states on its website. “Children with MIS-C may have a fever and various symptoms, including abdominal (gut) pain, vomiting, diarrhea, neck pain, rash, bloodshot eyes, or feeling extra tired. We do not yet know what causes MIS-C. However, many children with MIS-C had the virus that causes COVID-19, or had been around someone with COVID-19.”
Her father says he’s speaking out, to raise awareness.
”People just need to be aware. They need to, you know, keep their mask on. Stay sanitary. Just do as much as you can tell help someone else, because I would never want anyone else to go through what I’m going through,” he said.
Dearick Nealy says you can find ways to help the family, here.
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