Heartbreak when ‘beautiful’ mother of 13, 47, dies suddenly after catching the flu

A mother of 13 has tragically passed away after a bout of flu turned into deadly pneumonia.

Julie Theobald, 47, fought for her life for two weeks before succumbing to the lung infection on June 13.

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The “beautiful” mother from Victoria, Australia, leaves behind 13 children – aged between seven and 31 – and her husband Billy.

“We were all extremely shocked and heartbroken by this. NewsWe could never have imagined losing our mother so soon,” her daughter Jessica wrote on behalf of the family in a statement. GoFundMe.

Julie passed away just weeks after a “terrible” bout of flu turned into pneumonia, an inflammation of the lungs usually caused by an infection.

Most people recover from pneumonia within a matter of weeks, but babies, the elderly and those with heart or lung problems are at greater risk of becoming seriously ill.

Jessica confirmed that her mother suffered from underlying health issues.

She wrote: “Unfortunately, our mother was only 47 and had been in the ICU fighting for the last two weeks due to a terrible flu that turned into pneumonia and underlying health issues.”

Julie was transferred to Melbourne on June 10 by plane – “her first plane trip,” Jessica said – in the hope she could be saved.

Tragically, the mother passed away just three days later, leaving the family deeply shocked.

Jessica set up a GoFunMe appeal on behalf of her father and brothers to raise money to cover Julie’s funeral costs.

“This is our last chance to give him the best send-off possible,” she said.

“Nobody likes asking for help and we certainly don’t expect to raise that full amount, but we really hope to lessen the burden on our father and the large costs of a funeral.”

Fundraising has already exceeded the family’s $13,000. target.

In an update to the original post, Jessica thanked everyone who contributed to the fund.

“We are so amazed and shocked by how many people have come out of their own pockets to help our family.

“I can’t thank each and every one of you enough, in such a dark and tragic time for our family, this has brought us so much happiness.

“Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

Julie’s tragic death comes as New South Wales residents have been warned about the “triple threat” of rising cases of flu, Covid and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

On June 8, health authorities warned that flu activity continued to increase, “with the number of presentations to emergency departments increasing and the number of flu notifications also increasing”.

Flu symptoms tend to come on suddenly and can cause both mild and severe illness.

Most people recover in a matter of days or weeks, but some may develop complications such as pneumonia.

According to the American Lung Association: “Flu is a common cause of pneumonia, especially among younger children, the elderly, pregnant women or people with certain chronic health conditions or who live in nursing homes.

“Most cases of the flu never lead to pneumonia, but those that do tend to be more serious and deadly.”

Other serious complications triggered by the flu include inflammation of the heart (myocarditis), brain (encephalitis), or muscle tissues and multiple organ failure, notes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

In the UK, flu activity generally peaks between December and March.

A recent report from the UK Health Security Agency revealed that the 2023/24 flu season lasted longer than the previous year, “but the peak of activity was lower”.

The best way to protect yourself from the flu is to get a vaccine. They are offered in National Health Service every year in fall It is winter to help protect people against illnesses and complications.

Eligible groups can receive the vaccine free of charge.

For the next season, pregnant women and children will have the vaccine free of charge from September 1stwhile adults aged 65 and over and clinically vulnerable groups will be able to get theirs from 3 October.

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