NORTH BERGEN – Parents of young students at Lincoln Elementary School are struggling to explain to their children that one of their classmates has tragically died of the flu.
One day after Nevaeh Hernandez, a 6-year-old kindergartner, died at a local hospital, state officials have confirmed that her death is the second fatal case of the pediatric flu in New Jersey.
As parents picked up their children from the 63rd Street school this afternoon, many seem to be grappling with the sadness and shock of Navaeh's death and the responsibility to keep their kids from getting sick.
Brenda Cruz, the mother of a 5-year-old girl, said she spoke to her daughter last night about what happened.
"It's not a conversation you want to have with your daughter but I wanted her to know what was going around in school and for her to be careful," she said. "When she has lunchtime, wash your hands."
Gemma Fandialan also has a daughter in kindergarten and said she sent her to school with a bottle of hand sanitizer.
"We know the flu this year has been very bad," Fandiala said. "I just reminded my daughter last night, you know, just make sure every time you touch something, doorknobs, anything you know wash your hands, sanitize your hands."
The school district said in a statement it has been doing heavy cleanings in all of the classrooms and called the student's death "a sad day" after "losing one of our own."
The family of the 6-year-old girl has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for her funeral and medical costs. A wake is scheduled for Friday from 2 to 8 p.m. at Vainieri Funeral Home on Kennedy Boulevard in North Bergen.
A funeral service will be held Saturday at St. Augustine Church in Union City at 10 a.m.
Caitlin Mota may be reached at cmota@jjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitlin_mota. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
from Health - Google News http://ift.tt/2ECEXzR
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