 Evan Frustaglio died yesterday and the coroners' office confirmed last night the teen was felled by the H1N1 virus. (SUN MEDIA Handout)
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They lost him in minutes.
Evan Frustaglio, 13, died Monday in such a sudden, shocking turn of the H1N1 virus that his father, Paul, said he was frightened by the speed that his son's symptoms went from flu-like to fatal, stopping his healthy, hockey-loving heart right before his eyes.
Now, Frustaglio is left questioning whether he and his wife, Ann-Marie, could have done more and warning other parents to take the swine flu seriously.
"Maybe we should have brought him to a hospital on Sunday? I don't know," he told the Sun yesterday.
"As a parent, you're there to look after your kids and sometimes we take a flu for granted. Don't take this one for granted," he said.
"If there are symptoms of any kind, get in to see a health specialist ... If they say, 'Ah well it seems normal,' then say, 'You know what? A little boy just died and it was supposed to be normal for him, too, but he's not with us anymore.' "
Evan, a forward for the AA Mississauga North Stars, had been in London, Ont., for a weekend hockey tournament before coming home early with flu-like symptoms. Two teammates are in quarantine.
WALK-IN CLINIC
On Sunday, the day before he died, the family had taken Evan to a walk-in clinic.
Sitting on the steps of the family's Etobicoke home as Evan's little brother, Will, 10, looked on from the window, Frustaglio, 46, fought back tears as he described his son's last minutes just before 11 a.m. Monday.
"People need to know that it's like a lightning bolt, and that's what I've been told and I can't explain it any better than it was like a lightning bolt, it just came and struck him right there," Frustaglio said as he described finding his son on the bathroom floor.
"I went to hold my boy up and he stood up with me and then he just collapsed.
"At that point I knew I was in trouble, I knew something was wrong, it was like he lost his life right there.
"He was still alive but he had no power to stand, no power to do anything," he said.
The father started cardio-pulminary resuscitation and called 911.
Paramedics tried to save him.
Staff at St. Joseph's Health Centre tried to save him.
"The people that were there were working so hard to keep his chest moving because his heart wasn't working," Frustaglio said.
Officials with the coroner's office late Monday confirmed Evan died from H1N1. The family started taking Tamiflu to ward off the virus that night.
"If it can strike you that quickly, it's a pretty scary thing," Frustaglio said. "I don't want to cause panic. All I'm telling people is be extra careful, keep a closer eye on your kids."
Recalling his son's short life, the proud father remembered a young boy who loved hockey and was good at it.
"If you guys were talking to me about something else, if there was a train derailment in my backyard, he'd be standing there shooting pucks right now," he said, pointing to a hockey net on the edge of the driveway. "He loved the game so, so much."
At Evan's school in Vaughan, the flags outside the Hill Academy were lowered to half-mast and the small, independent school that offers a mix of academics and athletics remained closed. Students were sent home Monday when the school learned of the death. Officials aren't sure when they'll reopen.
His parents said Evan, in his first year at the school, had never been happier in his life.
Peter Merrill, the school's CEO, choked up as he described the young man who was a leader both on and off the ice.
"It just doesn't seem fair that a boy like that loses his life," Merrill said. "Everybody is in a state of shock for Evan.
"You know when a kid comes in and lights up the room? That's what he was like," he said.
Premier Dalton McGuinty called the death a "terrible tragedy" and vowed the province was working to ensure the best possible vaccination program would be available at the earliest opportunity.
"My thoughts are with the family and friends of that young boy who lost his life," McGuinty said.
Health Minister Deb Matthews said the "sad case" is a reminder of why it's important to get the H1N1 vaccine.
"There is very good science that has gone into the decision to supply the vaccine to everyone who needs it," she said.
Facebook tributes to the boy continued to grow yesterday, with friends and strangers expressing their sorrow at Evan's death.
"If you can take any comfort in this, Evan's death has changed my mind about having my kids take the H1N1 flu shot," one person wrote to the family. "We will now have them take it ... His death may save others."
DON.PEAT@SUNMEDIA.CA
