• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • WATCH NEWS
    • WHAT’S ON FOX
  • ABOUT
    • Meet Our Team
      • Our Journalists
      • Sales & Programming
      • Job Openings
    • Contact WSFX
      • WSFX Jobs
      • Sales & Programming
  • Welcome Home
  • Go With The Pros
  • Medically Speaking
  • Wilmington Eats
  • Unsung Heroes
    • Nominate an Unsung Hero

Fox Wilmington WSFX-TV

Wilmington, NC

  • Local News
    • What’s Happening Wilmington
  • Coronavirus
  • Local Weather
  • National
  • Sports
  • Politics
    • NC Voter Information
  • Health
  • MORE…
    • Contests
    • Entertainment
      • What’s on TV?
    • Technology
    • Science
    • Lifestyle
    • What’s Happening Wilmington

‘His life hadn’t even started’: Boy, 9, dies from complications of COVID-19

January 31, 2021 By WECT

By KTVT Staff | January 31, 2021 at 3:45 AM EST – Updated February 2 at 3:53 PM

FORT WORTH, Texas (KTVT) – A Texas family is mourning the loss of a 9-year-old boy to COVID-19 after he took a turn for the worse and died within 24 hours.

J.J. Boatman, 9, died at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas, on Tuesday, Jan. 26. His family says the boy was known for his big bear hugs.

J.J. Boatman, 9, died from complications related to COVID-19. The boy's family says he was known for his big bear hugs.

J.J. Boatman, 9, died from complications related to COVID-19. The boy’s family says he was known for his big bear hugs. (Source: Family photos, KTVT via CNN)

“He was a loving, caring little boy. Every time he would see you or any family member, he would run up and hug you,” said Gabriel Ayala, the boy’s uncle.

Just a few weeks before his death, J.J. celebrated his 9th birthday with tacos and cake.

“We never knew this was going to be his last birthday,” Ayala said.

The 9-year-old had asthma, but Ayala says he was still very active, always playing with his cousins or older sisters. In fact, the family says J.J. was running around and playing hours before his symptoms began.

“He was just running around and playing earlier that day, and by the nighttime, he was yelling and crying to his mom that he couldn’t breathe. His mom went over, and his face was blue already and his lips were blue,” Ayala said.

J.J.’s mom rushed him to the emergency room, and he was then flown to Cook Children’s. By the time he arrived, his lungs were filled with fluid. The 9-year-old’s heart gave out the next morning.

Doctors told the family J.J. died from complications related to COVID-19. Before he was hospitalized, no one knew the 9-year-old had the virus.

“She didn’t know that she was going to come home empty-handed without her son. It’s just hard, of course. That was her baby boy. That was her only son,” said Ayala of J.J.’s mother.

Ayala says J.J.’s story shows anyone can get COVID-19, and he hopes people continue to take the threat seriously, as his family grieves for the 9-year-old whose life was cut short.

“We’re going to miss his whole life. His life hadn’t even started,” Ayala said.

A GoFundMe set up for the family has raised more than $20,000.

Copyright 2021 KTVT via CNN Newsource. All rights reserved.

Filed Under: Special Coverage: Coronavirus

Primary Sidebar

 

Follow Us On Facebook



TRENDING NOW

Here’s your chance to give back on #GivingTuesday

2021 MEAC men’s basketball tournament: Matchups, players to know & more

2021 MEAC women’s basketball tournament: Matchups, players to know & more

Protesters burn masks at Idaho Capitol rally against COVID-19 rules

Amber Alert issued for 10-year-old girl believed to be abducted in Winston-Salem

What is NASA’s Super Guppy plane?

Footer

PUBLIC FILE INFO

Individuals with disabilities who have questions about the content of our public file or website may contact Connie Petway by phone at
(910) 343-8826 or by email at Isabella.gano@foxwilmington.com

 
 » WSFX FCC Public File
»EEO Report
»Closed Captioning

 

  • Home
  • WATCH NEWS
    • WHAT’S ON FOX
  • ABOUT
    • Meet Our Team
      • Our Journalists
      • Sales & Programming
      • Job Openings
    • Contact WSFX
      • WSFX Jobs
      • Sales & Programming
  • Welcome Home
  • Go With The Pros
  • Medically Speaking
  • Wilmington Eats
  • Unsung Heroes
    • Nominate an Unsung Hero

 

  • Local News
    • What’s Happening Wilmington
  • Coronavirus
  • Local Weather
  • National
  • Sports
  • Politics
    • NC Voter Information
  • Health
  • MORE…
    • Contests
    • Entertainment
      • What’s on TV?
    • Technology
    • Science
    • Lifestyle
    • What’s Happening Wilmington

Copyright © 2021 · American Spirit Media LLC · WSFX TV · Wilmington NC · Terms of Service · Privacy Policy