Beloved CT Educator, Mother Dies From Flu

WATERBURY, CT — After losing a loved one, a Waterbury family is trying to raise awareness about how serious the flu can be. According to her doctors, 62-year-old Cecilia Forget of Waterbury died unexpectedly Friday, Jan. 26, from cardiac arrest and respiratory failure caused by the flu, according to media reports.

Her daughter, Jennifer, said Forget had complained of typical cold symptoms, such as aches and exhaustion, and had been using over-the-counter prescriptions to treat them, Fox 61 reported. Then one morning she found her mother gasping for air on her bedroom floor and called 911.

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Jennifer Forget said her mother never made it to the hospital, as she went into cardiac arrest on the way, Eyewitness News 3 reported. She also said her mother had gotten her flu shot this year, however she suffered from strand "A," which was not covered in vaccines this year.

A GoFundMe set up to aid the family with funeral expenses described Forget as a loving mother, daughter, sister, aunt and friend who was loved by many. She had retired from Maloney Magnet Elementary School in Waterbury, where she worked as a Kindergarten Aid.

"My family is trying to raise awareness about how serious the flu can be," a post on the GoFundMe page said. "Please learn the difference between the cold and the flu. If you or someone you love suspects that you might have the flu, don't hesitate to see a doctor!"

Those who wish to donate to the family's GoFundMe page may do so here. As of Friday afternoon, they have raised $3,405 of a $10,000 goal in seven days.

The Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) revealed in its 2017-2018 Influenza Season Update for the week ending Jan. 27 that a total of 1,154 patients have been hospitalized with confirmed cases of the flu between Aug. 27, 2017 and Jan. 27, 2018.

According to the data, 52 deaths have been attributed to the flu (41 associated with flu A, 11 with flu B) so far this season. Of these deaths, 44 were among patients over the age of 65, four were 50-64 years of age, three were 25-49 years of age and one was between 5-17 years of age.

"With the peak of flu season potentially still several weeks away, it is still not too late to get a flu shot," DPH Commissioner Dr. Raul Pino said in a release. "However, it takes two weeks from the time of the shot to develop the antibodies needed to fight the flu, so I urge anyone who has not received a flu shot to do it as soon as possible in order to be fully protected for the remainder of this season."

Just last month, 10-year-old Nico Mallozzi of New Canaan died unexpectedly on Jan. 14 after suffering from the flu, which medical examiners said turned to pneumonia and eventually sepsis. He had been at an ice hockey tournament in Buffalo with his team and reportedly began feeling ill prior to the tournament.

He was taken to Buffalo Women's and Children's Hospital that weekend, where he passed away from the rapidly spreading condition.

Those who wish to donate to the Mallozzi family's GoFundMe page can do so here.

Photo credit: GoFundMe