The family will tell you that from an early age, Braden Wilson, a student at Santa Susana High School in Simi Valley, involved in theater, video production and choir, knew what it meant to be good.
His aunt, Heather Brassil, described him as “just a good, sweet, genuine child.”
Braden was diagnosed with COVID-19 just two weeks ago.
“She started having organ failure,” Brassil said in an interview with ABC7, adding that her nephew was vigilant throughout the pandemic.
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It was only when Braden had complications from an unrelated surgery that he arrived in and out of hospitals, eventually testing positive for the virus.
Just days after he was transferred to Los Angeles Children’s Hospital, Braden passed away last week.
His family has been told that the cause is multisystemic inflammatory syndrome in children or MIS-C, a rare pediatric complication that results from COVID-19.
“It’s very shocking to see how he decided to take it,” Brassil said.
Braden was an only child. In addition to the heartbreaking loss, his mother is recovering right now from COVID-19.
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“She’s not doing very well emotionally,” Brassil said, “and that’s why I’m talking to you. She couldn’t stay calm.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were fewer than 17,000 MIS-C cases nationwide and only 26 resulted in death.
However, Braden’s aunt wants people to know that it can happen to anyone.
“It’s very real. It should make people stop and think,” she said, “to be careful about others, although it can be an inconvenience to follow safety practices.
“But if it can help save someone’s life, I think it’s worth it.”
The family created 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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