PAULDING COUNTY, Ga. — A 16-year-old Paulding County girl died Monday after her family says she went into cardiac arrest after suffering symptoms of the flu.
Bailey Cruse was a 10th grader at South Paulding High School.
Crystal Steagall, whose daughter was Bailey’s best friend, told Channel 2’s Bryan Mims she was “just a beautiful soul, truly.”
“It has been very traumatic for our family,” she said. “She was like a second daughter to us. Our kids did vacations together.”
Bailey’s parents, Brad and Erin Cruse, declined interviews, but they posted on social media that Bailey became sick with flu-like symptoms. She was recovering well at home, they said, when she experienced a sudden cardiac arrest.
“Despite her father’s immediate effort and CPR, by the time her heart responded at the hospital, too much time had passed, resulting in extensive brain damage,” they wrote.
At the hospital, Bailey was diagnosed with the flu and died three days later.
The parents told Mims that Bailey had no chronic or preexisting condition and rarely became sick.
“The final days at the hospital were laughter and sharing memories,” Steagall said. “The girls painted her fingernails because we knew she wanted to look beautiful. She always did.”
Steagall’s daughter, Maren, had been friends with Bailey since elementary school. She described Bailey as “foodie” who loved to shop and spend time at the lake, and they were both on a cheerleading team together.
“We were just hanging out the night of the Super Bowl,” she said. “She was perfectly fine. She was feeling fine. Then it all just happened.”
Dr. Dhuval Desai of Atlanta Internists said it’s rare for a healthy teenager to suffer cardiac arrest from the flu.
“That just goes to show how virulent and how invasive the virus can be,” he said.
It’s the inflammation of the body as it fights the virus that can lead to serious complications.
“The unfortunate situation here is that it does sound like her body responded in a way that trying to fight this infection went into multi-organ failure, leading to the cardiac arrest,” he said.
Her parents wrote that Bailey died surrounded by family and “her dearest friends in prayer.”
Bailey was an only child, and her mother told Mims that her daughter “loved Jesus. She told everyone she could about him.”
South Paulding High School has been closed for winter break this week and will have counselors on campus when students return Monday.
The school sent a message this message to families: “Together, we will honor Bailey’s memory and cover her family and friends with prayer and support.”
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