Source: Detroit Free Press
Last month, Tim Schell and his wife, Dana, flew to Colorado for a ski trip.
The White Lake residents hit the slopes, but after one run, Schell began to feel ill. They returned to their hotel. Two days later, on Jan. 31, Schell, 51, was dead. The cause? According to his family, it was Influenza A — the most harmful strain of the virus.
“Before the trip, Tim felt fine and was healthy,” said Schell’s niece, Paige Bastas.
Grappling with an unexpected and traumatic loss, Schell’s family is sharing their loved one’s story hoping to raise awareness about the realities of the seemingly common seasonal virus.
“We want to really emphasize the fact that they were on a plane and believe that that is how Tim got sick,” Bastas wrote in an e-mail. “We want to let everyone know how dangerous it is for the people around you if you travel/come into contact with people while you are ill.”