The family will tell you that, from a very young age, Braden Wilson, a sophomore at Santa Susana High School in Simi Valley, involved in theater, video production and choir, knew what it meant to be kind.
His aunt, Heather Brassil, described him as “just a good, sweet and genuine boy”.
Braden was diagnosed with COVID-19 just two weeks ago.
“He started to have organ failure,” Brassil said in an interview with ABC7, adding that his nephew was careful during the pandemic.
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It wasn’t until Braden had complications from unrelated surgery that he ended up in and out of hospitals, eventually testing positive for the virus.
A few days after being transferred to Los Angeles Children’s Hospital, Braden passed away last week.
His family was informed that the cause was multisystemic inflammatory syndrome in children, or MIS-C, a rare pediatric complication resulting from COVID-19.
“It is very shocking to see how this decided to take him,” said Brassil.
Braden was an only child. In addition to the painful loss, his mother is also recovering from COVID-19.
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“She’s not doing very well emotionally,” said Brassil, “and that’s why I’m talking to you. She couldn’t keep her composure.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were fewer than 17,000 cases of MIS-C across the country and only 26 resulted in death.
Still, Braden’s aunt wants people to know that it can happen to anyone.
“It is very real. It should make people stop and think, “she said,” to be considerate of others, although it may be inconvenient to follow safety practices.
“But if it can help save someone’s life, I think it’s worth it.”
The family opened a GoFundMe account for Braden’s memorial service and medical expenses. To help, visit www.gofundme.com/f/braden-wilson-memorial-services.
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