COVID-19 Complications: Parents Remember 'Amazing' 7-Year-Old Girl Whose Brain Swelled from the Virus

The parents of Adalyn Graviss, the 7-year-old girl from Tennessee who succumbed to COVID-19 complications within three days of testing positive, are deeply mourning their loss.

Mom Jennifer Graviss said, in an interview with "Good Morning America," that Adalyn was still playing in their front yard minutes before they drove to the hospital for her check-up. The mother described her daughter as a healthy and happy child thus her unexpected death has been painful for the family.

Jennifer said that Adalyn's COVID-19 complications were sudden. After experiencing a fever of 102 degrees, Adalyn soon had speech problems the night following her doctor's check-up. The family decided to take her to the emergency room of the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital when she became unresponsive.

Adalyn's Condition Improved Then Got Worse

Doctors placed the young girl in an EMCO machine to help her body pump blood properly. This machine is usually the final solution for patients with severe COVID-19 symptoms.

Dad, Adam Graviss, said that Adalyn's condition improved with the machine's help but then things "took a turn for the worse." Doctors told the parents that COVID-19 triggered Adalyn's severe myocarditis or heart inflammation and a very rare brain condition called acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), which led to her brain swelling. They also speculated that her body may have suffered from Raynaud's syndrome, which is characterized by numbness in response to stress or temperature changes.

According to RareDisease.Org, ADEM is characterized by a widespread inflammation that causes damage to the brain and the spinal cord. In September 2021, Avella Bauer, 8, from Minnesota, also had ADEM due to COVID-19. She contracted the virus in March that year and then her condition immediately worsened. Bauer recovered from the virus but has been left paralyzed. Doctors said that this COVID-19 complication is extremely rare but largely preventable.

Two days after her hospitalization, Adalyn's body gave up and she died on Monday, February 7. According to her parents, Adalyn was not vaccinated. Her age group became eligible for the Pfizer vaccine in November 2021 but Jennifer and Adam held off her vaccination. The 7-year-old, however, was very diligent about wearing a face mask in school because she had a good reason not to contract the virus, aside from her health.

Adalyn's New Baby Sister

In January 2022, the family welcomed Ella, Adalyn's new baby sister. Adalyn didn't want to bring the virus home so she was vigilant about the face mask. Jennifer said that Adalyn has longed to be a big sister for years.

Adalyn is also a daddy's girl. Jennifer said that her daughter and Adam did everything together, including playing basketball or watching games. The pair was each other's best friend, which made her death due to COVID-19 complications harder on her father.

Aside from her parents, friends of Adalyn also mourned her loss. They said that she was an amazing and kind friend who was also responsible and wise. She was a "little mother hen" in the classroom who spoke a lot about her faith in Jesus.