Minnesota girl, 11, remains on ventilator as she battles severe flu, pneumonia
An 11-year-old girl from Dilworth remains on a ventilator after a serious case of flu led to her contracting pneumonia.
Olivia Lenhart was taken to the hospital on Jan. 13 with low oxygen levels and labored breathing. There, she was diagnosed with Influenza A, which quickly turned into viral pneumonia.
Her condition worsened on Jan. 21, and she was moved to the hospital's PICU. Since then, Lenhart has remained on a ventilator. She has also developed Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.
A GoFundMe was recently created by Lenhart's aunt to support her and her parents, Mike and Jamie, during her recovery.
According to the fundraiser, blood transfusions have helped keep Lenhart stable while in the hospital. Going forward, she may require a feeding tube and long term home care.
"Olivia still has a long road to recovery ahead of her. It is unknown what will come with her recovery; it could be where she receives a trach and feeding tube, or it could be she comes out of this with just physical therapy,' the fundraiser reads.
'In both cases, Olivia will need 24/7 care for a while from both Mike and Jamie as they learn Olivia's new needs.'
As of Friday, the fundraiser had reached around $15,000 of its $18,000 goal.
Influenza cases and hospitalizations spiked to unprecedented levels in Minnesota last month, reaching the highest levels recorded since the Minnesota Department of Health began its current tracking method in the 2019-20 season.
According to the data, Influenza A cases skyrocketed after a late-December surge in school outbreaks.
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