11-Year-Old Who Lost Her Best Friend in Uvalde School Shooting Suffers Cardiac Arrest

Illiana Treviño, 11, may have survived the Uvalde school shooting, but she had also experienced the physical and emotional trauma of losing her best friend. Her mother, Jessica Treviño, said that Illiana is recovering from cardiac arrest after going to Amerie Jo Garza's memorial.

Garza, one of the 19 kids who died in the Uvalde school shooting, often protected Illiana from bullies. While Illiana had no cardiac issues before this, Jessica believed her daughter was still reeling from a broken heart after losing her best friend in one of the deadliest mass shootings in the U.S.

According to People, Illiana's heart rate spiked after she laid down flowers and a teddy bear at Garza's memorial at Robb Elementary School. They had to rush her to the hospital, where doctors told Jessica her daughter nearly had a cardiac episode.

"Her heart [rate] skyrocketed because she couldn't take the trauma," Jessica said.

Illiana Treviño's Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Uvalde doctors recommended Illiana's transfer to a San Antonio hospital, where she was initially admitted to the intensive care unit. After a week, the 11-year-old was moved to a regular room, but her doctors have not yet permitted her discharge.

According to the GoFundMe page, Illiana's heart isn't responding to her medication. The doctors worry that her condition will turn for the worst if she goes home as she has post-traumatic stress disorder.

While Illiana escaped from the gunman, she saw Garza's face in the news later that day. Jessica said that Illiana screamed and cried when she learned Garza was dead. Garza was targeted because she tried to call 911 for help during the attack. All the mother could tell her daughter was that there are "some ugly people in the world."

Two days following the attack, Joe Garcia, the husband of another victim, the teacher Irma Garcia, died of a heart attack. He was also returning home from the memorial when he collapsed and could no longer be revived. The Garcia family believed that Joe also suffered from a broken heart because Irma was in his life for 24 years.

The Broken Heart Syndrome

A cardiac episode resulting from a broken heart is medically known as Takotsubo cardiomyopathy or stress cardiomyopathy. Per Harvard Health Publishing, this condition is characterized by sudden emotional stress and may commonly happen in people who have lost someone they love. Broken heart syndrome is not the same as a typical heart attack, where the arteries are blocked and must be treated immediately.

Jessica said that Illiana is also worried about returning to school, knowing that her protector and best friend will not be there anymore.

"[Illiana] is still dealing with some hard issues," Jessica added and said that this will be a long road to her daughter's recovery.

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