Coronavirus Kills 5-Year-Old Girl; Michigan's Youngest Victim Was The Daughter Of First Responders

A 5-year-old girl from Detroit has become Michigan's youngest victim to die of coronavirus, and she was the daughter of two first responders.

Skylar Herbert succumbed to COVID-19 Sunday (April 19), per the Michigan Health Department. She was receiving care from the Beaumont Royal Oak, after testing positive for the virus in March.

"The loss of a child, at any time, under any circumstances, is a tragedy," hospital representatives said in a statement. "We are heartbroken that COVID-19 has taken the life of a child. We extend our deepest sympathy to Skylar’s family and all others who have lost a loved one to this virus."

The 5-year-old's symptoms started with a headache, and her parents, Ebbie Herbert, a firefighter, and LaVondria Herbert, a police officer, took their child to her pediatrician on March 23. The pediatrician diagnosed Skylar for strep throat and was prescribed antibiotics, but her headache would not subside.

"We called the doctor back, and they told us that it takes the medication 48 hours to kick in and to give it some time, but because she was crying so bad," LaVondria said. "I told my husband we needed to take her to emergency because I just didn’t know.”

Skylar's parents decided to bring her to Beaumont Royal Oak, where she tested positive for coronavirus. The child was released from the hospital the following day, but the family was back at Beaumont Royal Oak within six hours because Ebbie started coughing and had shortness of breath.

Meanwhile, Skylar's headache returned while they waited for Ebbie at the parking lot, and her fever spiked to 100 degrees. She went into seizure just as her father was stepping out of the emergency room. The family would later learn that Ebbie's test was inconclusive.

The little girl was admitted to the ICU as doctors took different tests. Her parents were told that she developed a rare type of meningitis.

LaVondria said that they decided to take Skylar off the ventilator as doctors no longer saw improvements on the young patient.

"It was possible she was brain dead, and we basically just knew she wasn’t coming back to us," the mother said.

The Herberts live in an area with over 629 coronavirus cases as of April 20. To date, Michigan has over 32,000 cases, with nearly 2,500 deaths.

"Michigan has lost residents ranging from ages 5-107 due to COVID-19," a spokesperson for the state's health department said. Before Skylar, Michigan's youngest coronavirus victim was 20 years old.