Voorhees mom, 40, dies of flu

A 40-year-old Voorhees mother of two died in a hospital Sunday from complications of the flu and pneumonia.

Nicole A. Born had no chronic health conditions and was the "picture of health," according to her father, Gary Born of Brigantine.

She is survived by her husband, Ken Wakeley, their 7-year-old daughter, Samantha, and 3-year-old son, Dylan. Their household came down with the flu around Christmas.

"It's totally a nightmare," Gary Born said. "Nicole, the mother she is, didn't have time to take care of herself because everyone else was sick. She kept putting it off, putting it off."

By the time she went to a hospital emergency room two days before her death, Born had trouble breathing and was hallucinating. Her blood-oxygen levels were so low doctors tried to oxygenate her blood using a machine, but they were unsuccessful.

Gary Born said his daughter tested positive for influenza A virus (H3N2), the most common flu virus circulating this season.

Flu's risks

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned the A strain is associated with higher rates of severe illness and death. Though this year's seasonal flu vaccine does not match the A strain, doctors still recommend getting the vaccine because it can limit the severity of H3N2 and protect against other circulating strains.

Flu-related deaths are not that unusual, said Dr. Neil Fishman, an infectious-disease specialist and associate chief medical officer at the University of Pennsylvania Health System, where Born was treated at the time of her death.

On average, nearly 90 percent of flu-related deaths in the United States occur in people 65 and older, according to the CDC.

The government does not track the number of flu-related deaths in adults, and flu mortality varies from season to season. Estimates for flu-associated deaths between 1976 and 2007 range from a low of about 3,000 to a high of about 49,000 people.

Usually, people with the greatest risk of flu complications also have underlying medical conditions. But it can sometimes take down otherwise healthy individuals, Fishman explained.

"If people don't start feeling better within four to five days, and certainly if fever continues beyond four days, they should get to a doctor quickly," Fishman said.

That could indicate viral pneumonia. Also, if people feel better, then start feeling worse again, that could indicate the presence of bacterial pneumonia, which requires antibiotics.

Pneumonia can sometimes cause a dangerous condition called acute respiratory distress syndrome, when the lungs can no longer get enough oxygen into the blood. For the past five or six years, doctors have been refining a procedure called extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, which uses an external machine to oxygenate the blood. Nationally, the mortality rate ranges as high as 75 percent.

"It's a big procedure, and it is not very successful if you do it too late," Fishman said. "The timing has to be right."

Active life

According to her obituary, Born loved to fish for striped bass and won fishing awards starting at age 13.

She was a 1993 graduate of Eastern Regional High School in Voorhees, where she was inducted into the school's athletic hall of fame in 2002. She was a standout basketball and softball player.

April Martin of Williamstown was among her close college friends and described Born as fun-loving and feisty. She was a "great soul and a beautiful person," she added.

"She's the one who taught me how to play pool," recalled Martin. "She could put on the (cleats) and play baseball, and look gorgeous doing it."

"It's just awful," Martin added. "How do you lose somebody at 40 to the flu? It doesn't make sense."

Lisa Born-Strassler of Brigantine, Nicole's older sister, recalled Nicole as a devoted mother and small-business owner who thought she would be out of the hospital within a few days after the procedure. She never regained consciousness.

Emergency signs for the flu include difficulty breathing, pain in the chest or abdomen, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen, sudden dizziness, confusion, severe or persistent vomiting, or flu-like symptoms that improve and then return with a fever and worse cough.

Gary Born said he hopes his daughter's death will cause others to treat the flu seriously and seek medical attention if they need it.

"Don't wait; don't wait," Gary Born urged, his voice choked with tears. "You tell these parents to hug their kids, because you never know if they'll be there the next day."

Services

• Funeral services for Nicole A. Born will be held from 10 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the Knight Funeral Home, 14 Rich Ave., Berlin. A memorial service will be held at 11:30 a.m.

• In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Animal Welfare Association, 509 Centennial Blvd., Voorhees.

Reach Kim Mulford at kmulford@courierpostonline.com. Follow her on Twitter @CP_KimMulford.