Flu Sends Temecula 3-Year-Old To ICU

TEMECULA, CA -- The devastating effects of the nationwide flu epidemic is being felt in Temecula where a 3-year-old boy is fighting for his life at a local hospital. Desi Rivera, who was diagnosed with Influenza A and pneumonia, is one of tens of thousands of reported Americans to be battling the flu this season.

A GoFundMe page that was created for the family of the young boy said Desi was admitted to Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego on Jan. 8. The page said Desi "is combating multiple attacks on his body."

"The infections are extremely aggressive and they are doing all they can to stay one step ahead," the page read. "We are praying every moment for a miracle and can not wait for all of this to be behind us."

Desi has two chest tubes attached to his body and a ventilator to help him breathe, the GoFundMe page said.

Overwhelmed with medical bills, the GoFundMe page asked the public to donate to the family as their young boy battles the illnesses.

"This sweet boy of ours is our whole world and we have a long hard road ahead of us to his healthy recovery," the page said.

The latest Centers for Disease Control report said there were 14,401 new laboratory-confirmed cases of the flu during the week that ended Jan. 13, bringing the season total to 74,562. Patient traffic was up in 32 states, making Jan. 7-13 one of the busiest weeks for flu symptoms in nine years. At least 30 children have died, a third of them during the week ending Jan. 13.

The seasonal total is unprecedented in the 13 years the CDC has been monitoring influenza activity. The agency has declared it an epidemic and has urged anyone who hasn't received a flu vaccination to get one. And while the flu season should peak soon, the CDC said in a special Jan. 12 briefing that "it will take many more weeks for flu activity to truly slow down."

-- Patch reporter Feroze Dhanoa contributed to this report/Photo via GoFundMe page

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