Chance Chandler

On Saturday, February 13, 2010, 4-year-old Chance Chandler was at his father’s house for the weekend. He had been at a friend’s birthday party all day feeling fine and running around playing with all of the other children. But, later that evening he started vomiting and running a fever. Chance’s father was up most of the night caring for him as he vomited almost continuously.

The next morning a prescription was called in by his doctor and given to Chance to help with the vomiting. At 5:00 p.m. that evening, Chance went back home to his mother’s house but was still very sick. The medicine had not helped much. A few hours later, Chance was so sick he could not stand, walk, or even sit up by himself. His mother called a friend to come and sit with Chance’s two sisters while she took him to the emergency room. At the ER, they tested Chance for strep throat and influenza. They also did a chest x-ray. The chest x-ray came back clear and he tested negative for strep throat; however, he tested positive for influenza. The doctor prescribed Tamiflu and sent him home. Chance’s mother was up most of the night watching over him worried because he kept moaning in his sleep like he was in pain.

The next morning, on February 15, Chance’s mother made him a doctor’s appointment with his pediatrician for the first available appointment later that day. In the meantime, his mother went to the pharmacy to fill the Tamiflu prescription. As soon as she got home, she gave Chance the medicine. However, shortly thereafter Chance stopped breathing. Chance’s mother did CPR while waiting for the ambulance to arrive, but it was too late. The paramedics were not able to revive him.

Chance had been vaccinated against the flu the year before he got sick; however, his family did not know that the vaccine changes annually and, as such, people need to get vaccinated every year.