“He had multiple medical issues because of the flu-associated illness,” said Bill Wharton of Public Health — Dayton and Montgomery County.
Wharton said this was the first flu-related Montgomery County death this year, and the first pediatric-related death attributed to the flu in the county since those records became reportable in 2009.
Amelia Catherine Perry, 22, of Fairborn died Jan. 8 after being hospitalized with the flu at Kettering Medical Center. An elderly Warren County man, who suffered from several chronic conditions that could have contributed to his death, died of the flu in late December.
Health officials said there have been reports of a handful of Ohio adult deaths linked to the flu this season, but the state does not tally adult deaths due to the underlying health conditions often involved.
Chris House, a family friend speaking on behalf of the Sensenbrenners on Friday, said Tyler Sensenbrenner had not been sick prior to last week’s illness.
“He was running around on Wednesday of last week,” House said. “He was a very active young man. He was proud that he had won the Kreiger Video Award this year. He was a jokester, who liked to dance and have a good time.”
Counselor Tammy Bicknell said the video award was a schoolwide honor voted on by students, staff and teachers.
“Tyler was a very, very nice young man, who always had a smile for everybody,” Bicknell said.
Miamisburg Superintendent David Vail said students observed a moment of silence Friday, and the district had counselors, central office personnel and clergy on hand.
“It was very apparent that Tyler was well-liked,” Vail said. “He has an older brother (Aaron) at the high school, and at lunch the kids collected money for the family to help pay for services. … It puts everything else into perspective.”
Vail said the school has not had a marked increase in students missing school due to illness, and Wharton said the number of flu cases are on the decline in the county as a whole.
According to the Ohio Department of Health, flu-related hospitalizations were down 57 percent last week compared to the previous week, indicating that the flu season may have peaked
Wharton stressed the vital importance of hand-washing, maintaining a strong immune system and getting a flu shot.
“People complain that the flu shot is not 100 percent effective, but it is the best option we have,” he said.
Tyler is survived by his parents, Jeff and Christina, and his 17-year-old brother, Aaron. Services for Tyler were pending at Tobias Funeral Home.
— Staff Writer Randy Tucker contributed to this report.
How to Give
Late Friday night, we learned that Tyler's family has set up a website for individuals to leave messages and donations for the family. That website is http://www.youcaring.com/medical-fundraiser/In-Memory-of-Tyler-Sensenbrenner/40781
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