- Three-year-old Jace Patrick from Ogden died after battling pneumonia and the flu.
- His mother, Kelsie, described the rapid decline from a minor cold to critical illness as impossible to grasp.
- A GoFundMe supports the family, who appreciates the community's love during their grief.
OGDEN — A heartbreaking update to a story first reported just after Valentine's Day. After a monthlong fight against pneumonia and the flu, 3‑year‑old Jace Patrick, of Ogden, has died.
His mother, Kelsie Garrett Patrick, said the speed of his decline is still impossible to grasp. Just weeks ago, the family was planning a Disneyland trip for his birthday.
"We just went from we had a little cold to we're not breathing," she said.
Kelsie Patrick remembers her son running around and playing like his normal, energetic self, only days before he fell critically ill.
On the Sunday after Valentine's Day, Jace had been "a little bit sick," she said — no fever, but a cough that seemed to be changing. He was a bit "off," so the family decided to take him to the emergency room.
On the drive there, everything changed.
"My husband's pounding on their doors, like, 'We need help, we need help,'" Kelsie Patrick recalled. Firefighters were nearby and rushed to assist. Paramedics intubated Jace and transported him to the hospital. Within hours, he was flown to Primary Children's Hospital.
By that night, doctors delivered devastating news.
"They said, 'We need to put him on ECMO. It is full life support.'"
The Patricks were stunned by how quickly their world had shifted. On what should have been his 3rd birthday, Jace underwent brain surgery. Over the following weeks, he battled internal bleeding, blood clots and even a stroke — yet continued to defy the odds.
But last week, his small body could no longer keep up.
Kelsie Patrick remembers the moment the alarms sounded.
"When the alarms go off, all of the doctors go running. They grab their bags and they just sprint. They call out, 'Where's the room?' And they just sprint to the room, have all hands on deck," she said. "The alarm went off … and I just knew."
She and her husband were at Jace's side as he took his final breath.
"Jace used to always say, 'Hey, I have a secret, I have a secret.' And we'd be like, 'What?' And he'd say, 'I love you,'" Kelsie Patrick said. "And my husband went, 'Hey buddy, I have a secret … I love you.'"
The family said the outpouring of love, prayers, and support from the community has been overwhelming. If there has been any small comfort in their grief, they said it's been the kindness shown to them during the most painful chapter of their lives.
A *GoFundMe has been set up to help support the Patrick family.
*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
