GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The GoFundMe for a Bay Port High School student who died from flu complications has reached more than $100,000.
Memorial services for 14-year-old Ava Rae Schmidt were held Wednesday at St. John the Baptist Catholic Parish in Howard as support continues to pour in for the family.
- The Funeral Prayer Service can be viewed here.
Schmidt passed away December 21. Her family says she died “after a very short fight with Influenza A and Strep B.”
In a statement posted by the family, they wrote:
She was so thoughtful and was always looking for ways to show you she loved you. Whether it was a Starbucks drink, an order of cheese curds or just a hug she wanted to find a way to put a smile on your face,” the fundraiser reads. “She was a planner and had everything from her sixteenth birthday to her wedding day planned. She loved to dance and her dance family at Forever Dance. Recently telling her mom that she didn’t want her to see her solo because she wanted it to be a surprise. The expectations she set for herself on school work earned her all A’s. Her father shared that she had just received a 99% on a test but said she wanted to take it over so she could get a 100%. She was also involved in DECA. She loved being around animals; especially her dog Finley and lizard Pogue. She loved children and was always ready for the next babysitting job. Shopping and painting were just a couple of other things she loved to do. But where her heart spent most of its energy was on family.
The goal of the GoFundMe was to raise $5,000. As of Thursday, it’s more than $116,000. The family hopes to honor Schmidt by creating scholarships with money leftover after paying medical expenses and funeral costs.
Schmidt is the second reported pediatric death in Wisconsin this flu season.
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