Arnold Herrera died on Sunday at the University of Illinois Hospital in Chicago. His relatives said he had no underlying condition that they knew of, and they are still surprised at how quickly his condition has worsened.
Herrera was a helper for whom the sky was the limit, said his brother, Pablo Portilla.
“An enormous amount of energy, just … ‘I’m going to do it because I’m going to do it’, because I can do it. That ‘I can’ attitude,” he said.
RELATED: Couple Dies of COVID Days Before Christmas, After Short Visit to Family
Arnold’s brother said his younger brother never saw a problem he didn’t try to fix – including in the garage, where he worked with cars for a living.
But on Saturday, Herrera’s generous spirit was carried away by COVID-19.
“I kept praying that he was better because I knew he was always strong,” said Portilla. “It was not in God’s plan.”
Pablo said Arnold was diagnosed last week and was recovering at home, but his condition worsened hours after playing in the new year.
“He told us ‘Happy New Year’ and, unfortunately, afterwards he had complications for an entire day,” said Portilla. “He was in pain and we took him to the hospital and ready.”
RELATED: Teen Dies of COVID-19 Days After Diagnosis, Family Says
Arnold played guitar in his church and graduated from Benito Juarez High School in Chicago, where he was active in the junior ROTC program.
His death came with a warning that his family expects others to pay attention.
“It doesn’t discriminate against age. It just happens. And we all have to be careful. We shouldn’t think, ‘Oh, yes, because I’m young, this isn’t going to happen to me’, how else,” he said.
Arnold Herrera would have turned 20 in March. Records show that he is the eleventh person in Illinois under the age of 20 to die from COVID-19.
Pablo Portilla is accepting donations in memory of his brother on GoFundMe.
Copyright © 2021 WTVD-TV. All rights reserved.