04-08-2025
Springfield mom launches GoFundMe for daughter's ‘princess' headstone after E. coli death
Months after hugging her sick daughter for the last time, a Springfield mother is now working to give her a headstone worthy of a princess.
Angelica Vazquez, 6, died of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli — or more commonly known as E. coli — in November 2024.
'She literally lived like the life of a princess,' her mom, Samantha Ocasio, told MassLive last year. 'But the thing is, she never acted like it. She was very grateful for everything and anything she had.'
The GoFundMe, created in January, is aiming to raise $7,000 for the headstone. As of Wednesday morning, it had only raised $70 from two donations. The mom is also accepting donations through Cash App, $SamanthaCopeny and Venmo, @Sammy102323, as GoFundMe takes about a 3% fee from each donation.
The 6-year-old is remembered as a happy, bright and beautiful soul.
She loved shopping, listening to Taylor Swift, braiding hair, doing nails and learning TikTok dances. And there was a lot of laughter.
'And that's what keeps me going most days, is knowing I was able to give her at least a happy time while she was here,' Ocasio said.
What happened
Angelica started feeling sick late on Nov. 1. Her mother made sure she was drinking plenty of Gatorade and taking it easy by watching TV.
On Nov. 2, she gave her daughter a bubble bath, and they played in the bubbles together.
But things rapidly changed. About 45 minutes later, she passed out in her mother's arms. And by the time she got to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Angelica was in cardiac arrest.
'It was fast. It was really, really fast,' Ocasio said.
She tried asking the doctors questions about her daughter's condition but said she wasn't getting many answers.
'They just kept telling me, 'She's too sick. She's too sick,'' her mother recalled.
Eventually, she was told Angelica could be in the hospital for a few days. So, she asked for family to bring her a packed bag with clothes.
'I thought I was gonna be there three to five days, and my baby was gonna come home with me,' she said.
Doctors later told Ocasio that her daughter had brain damage because of a lack of oxygen.
About 12 hours after getting to the hospital, her happy, healthy, 6-year-old girl died.
Ocasio said the only change in the family's food was eating at a Western Massachusetts McDonald's on Halloween, when her daughter dressed up as Minnie Mouse.
'I was like, we're going to go trick-or-treating. Let's have a fun dinner,' Ocasio said.
While her siblings all ate chicken nuggets, Angelica opted for a cheeseburger.
A deadly outbreak of E. coli poisoning has been tied to some of McDonald's onions after at least 75 people in 13 states got sick, federal health officials said. The strain of E. coli linked to the onions served at McDonald's is called O157.H7.
However, the U.S. Centers for Disease and Control Prevention said there have been no reported cases of E. coli tied to the O157.H7 strain and McDonald's outbreak in Massachusetts. McDonald's also confirmed that they reached out to the Massachusetts Dept. of Public Health, their own third-party experts and our supply chain team following the report, according to Western Mass News. Plus, the onions linked to the E. coli outbreak, which are used on Quarter Pounders, are different from the onions used on the cheeseburger that Angelica ate.
'What's important to know is that the public health officials have not connected any reports of E. Coli to McDonald's in Massachusetts or the broader northeast region,' the statement read.
But that meal, the mother said, was the only difference she can think of.
'My whole concern is 'OK, if it wasn't the McDonald's, what is it?'' Ocasio asked.
Raising awareness
Her daughter was always looking out for other people. In honor of her, Ocasio is hoping to raise awareness about E. coli.
'Because what if the next parent thinks it's a stomach bug? What if the next parent doesn't know the signs or the symptoms?' she said.
Anyone can get an E. coli infection, according to the CDC. However, children under the age of 5 years, adults over the age of 65 and people who have a weakened immune system are at a greater risk.
The CDC suggests seeing a doctor if diarrhea or vomiting lasts more than two days, if there's blood in excretions, a fever of more than 102 degrees, dehydration or signs of hemolytic uremic syndrome, which include feeling tired. Stomach cramps and diarrhea with mucus are also common symptoms.
Parents also should watch out for swelling in the hands and feet of children, decreased urination and crying.
But it isn't always easy to spot. Ocasio asked her daughter if she thought the stomach pains were bad and if they needed to see a doctor.
Her daughter said, 'No, my belly just hurts.'
'Kids get stomach bugs. It presented itself as a stomach bug,' she said. 'She was normal up until that moment where she passed out.'
Ocasio said she didn't know her daughter died of E. coli, because nobody at the hospital explained it to her, she said.
She later discovered the information from the funeral home.
Her daughter's death certificate states she died of cardiac arrest, acute gastrointestinal bleeding and was positive for enteropathogenic Escherichia coli.
Each year, about 48 million people get sick because of E. coli in the U.S., 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 die, according to the FDA.
Now, Ocasio fears she will be unable to keep her other six children, all under the age of 10, safe.
'I Google things all night. I'm up. I don't sleep. I'm not functioning,' she previously told MassLive. 'I'm functioning what I can for my children. But as far as nighttime, I'm Googling stuff. I'm reading about stuff.'
Other recent E. coli outbreaks have been linked to ground beef and carrots.
'The best ways to prevent infection are by keeping your hands clean, preparing food safely, and drinking safe water,' the CDC recommends.
Ocasio's family likes to spend time remembering Angelica.
'We talk about her all the time,' she said.
The family also has done a balloon release for their little girl and made necklaces for each of their children.
'They get to wear those everywhere. We talk about her. They know they're more than welcome to talk about her,' she said. 'And I check their mental health every morning and before bed. And in between, we just do a lot of talking and a lot of crying together.'
And she hopes the headstone can help further honor her memory.
Talking about her daughter's story has not been easy, especially as posts on social media questioned the truth behind why her daughter died.
But she said she wants to tell her daughter's story in hopes of saving another child.
'I feel like my job now is to spread awareness,' she said.
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Read the original article on MassLive.
