Gianna Wehrkamp was a healthy, spunky 2-and-a-half-year-old.
“She commanded every room she walked into,” said her mom, Angie Wehrkamp. “She was the boss. She was funny. She loved to be involved with her big brother (Ethan) and followed him everywhere.”
In January of 2015, Gianna got the flu, and less than two days later, the Wehrkamp family lost their daughter to influenza A.
“When she passed away, it was really devastating and just completely life-altering for all three of us,” said Angie. “She was just the light of our lives and our world.”
By sharing Gianna’s story, Angie hopes to help prevent other families from losing a child to the flu.
“I wish we would have known the seriousness of the flu prior to Gianna’s passing, but unfortunately, we did not,” said Angie.
Sudden illness turns severe
On a Thursday afternoon in January of 2015, Angie was picking Gianna up from day care and noticed she felt warm. The next morning, Gianna sounded congested, so Angie took her to the doctor and by that afternoon, she was started on an antiviral medication and was back at home watching cartoons.
“We had nachos for supper that night, and she was her typical self, eating the black olives off her fingers and being spunky, even though you could tell she didn’t feel good,” Angie recalls.
That evening, Angie slept by Gianna’s side so she would be close for comfort. When Gianna’s fever went up during the night, Angie gave her ibuprofen and hoped the medicine would soon provide some relief.
A few hours later, Angie woke to a parent’s worst nightmare – Gianna wasn’t breathing. Angie’s husband Jared called 911 and she began CPR until the paramedics arrived.
“It all happened so fast, but it felt really slow at the time,” she said. “It’s something that’s etched in my brain forever.”
At the hospital, tests showed Gianna had brain swelling and she would not be able to recover. She was kept on life support long enough for her family and friends to say goodbye.
“Less than 48 hours after her first symptoms, she was gone,” said Angie.
‘The best prevention we have’
Earlier that winter, Angie and her husband got their flu vaccines at work and Ethan received his at school. As busy parents, scheduling an appointment for Gianna’s flu shot fell through the cracks.
“That is by far the biggest regret of my life,” said Angie.
Gianna was among at least 147 other children in the United States who died of influenza during the 2014-2015 flu season, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last year, during the 2023-2024 flu season, the CDC reported 199 pediatric deaths from influenza A and influenza B.
Although the flu vaccine may not entirely prevent illness, it does reduce the severity of illness and complications that can lead to hospitalization or death. A 2022 study found that the flu shot can reduce a child’s risk of life-threatening flu symptoms by 75%.
Flu vaccines have been extensively researched, and for more than 50 years, hundreds of millions of Americans have safely received a seasonal flu shot.
“I think that as parents, if your child gets sick from a vaccine-preventable disease, you want to be assured that you’ve done absolutely everything you could to prevent your child’s death or serious complications,” said Angie. “The annual flu vaccine is truly the best prevention we have for the flu.”
Sharing Gianna’s story to help other families
Angie serves on the board of directors for the national nonprofit Families Fighting Flu and is an active member of Immunize South Dakota. She is on a mission to help other families avoid the devastating loss of losing a child to the flu by getting the annual flu vaccine.
“I want to encourage other parents to do everything possible that they can to protect their families and as decision-makers for their children’s health,” said Angie. “I want them to make informed decisions about their children’s health and to know exactly how serious the flu is.”
Angie says parents can underestimate how serious the flu can be. By sharing Gianna’s story, she’s hoping to change that.
“I really hope that Gianna’s story can touch someone’s life, and they can tell someone, and have it keep going until the entire community takes (flu) truly as serious as it is,” she said.
Annual flu vaccines are recommended for everyone ages 6 months and older. You can schedule a vaccine visit on My Sanford Chart or by calling your local clinic. Sanford Health also offers seasonal vaccination events throughout the fall.
Learn more
- What you need to know about flu and the flu vaccine
- Baby benefits when pregnant mom gets the flu shot
- A parent’s guide to fevers: Notes from a pediatrician
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Posted In Children's, Family Medicine, Flu, Immunizations
