A US Air Force Academy cadet died in her dorm room in Colorado last month. Experts think that she might not have died from pneumonia. The El Paso County Coroner’s Office said that Avery Koonce, 19, of Tyler, Texas, died on September 4th from complications of a bad lung infection.
The report said that Koonce died from a dangerous bacterial infection termed “paeniclostridium sordellii sepsis,” which happened after he suffered a viral lung infection. Medical experts think that quick antibiotics and other simple treatments may have stopped this from happening.
Dr. Michael Baden, a well-known forensic pathologist who looked at the autopsy results, made it evident what kind of disease she had. He said, “Basically, she died from pneumonia that wasn’t treated.” Dr. Baden, who used to be New York City’s top medical examiner, noted that paeniclostridium sordelli is a rare bacterium that can induce really bad illnesses that are like toxic shock. The virus she had probably weakened her immune system, making it easier for her to receive the germs. “This has nothing to do with any pre-existing abnormality,” he added. He also said that Koonce’s condition might have been treated with fluids and drugs to battle the viral infection.
Before she died, Koonce presumably had signs of common pneumonia, such as a cough that wouldn’t go away, a fever, and problems breathing. The autopsy found that the young cadet had been coughing for a long time, and it got worse in the days before she died. Dr. Baden noted that a lot of people don’t realize how serious their symptoms are until it’s too late. This might be why Koonce didn’t get help in time.
The El Paso County Coroner wouldn’t say anything about the case, and Koonce’s family and the Air Force Academy didn’t respond to demands for more information.
Koonce was a well-known high school track star because of her athletic achievements. She was a superb sprinter at Thrall High School in Taylor, Texas. She ran the 100 meters in 12.12 seconds and the 200 meters in 25.67 seconds. She was a member of the Academy’s track and field team when she died.
Eric and Kelly Koonce, Koonce’s parents, penned a moving letter describing how much they missed their daughter. They said she was “an incredible bright light in this broken world.” They said, “We can’t fill the hole in our lives that her absence has left.”
People are talking about how important it is to know how deadly respiratory infections may be and to see a doctor if symptoms don’t go away after her death at such a young age. Koonce’s family is heartbroken, yet her story carries on. It is awful to think that diseases that may have been avoided can sometimes kill you if you don’t get treatment.
