18-Year-Old Dies Of COVID-19 At Oak Lawn Hospital

OAK LAWN, IL — An 18-year-old from Northwest Indiana lost his battle to COVID-19 Sunday at Advocate Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn.

Carlos Nunez Jr. and his 15-year-old brother Pablo both contracted COVID-19 in April, and battled the virus for months together in the same ICU unit, according to WGN9 News. Carlos was diagnosed just a few weeks before he was eligible for the vaccine. Doctors needed to put him into several medically-induced comas over the months, but in the weeks leading up to his death, his condition was improving.

“His last few weeks were good, so this came unexpected,” his family wrote on their GoFundMe page. “He was in good spirits, he was talking, eating, joking around and walking...In his short time on earth he made an impact on so many of his friends, acquaintances, and family. He will be truly missed.”

Nunez attended Thomas A. Edison High School in Lake Station, Ind., where he played tuba in the school band and was a member of the wrestling, track, and football teams, according to his obituary. He would have graduated high school in the spring, and wanted to become either a nurse or a flight controller.

His family described him as “the glue that held them all together.”

“He worried about everyone and was a protector to all,” his obituary reads. “ He was a caretaker, a teddy bear, and was always grateful and polite with everyone.”

His brother Pablo has recovered, but faces two to three years of physical therapy to strengthen his heart, WGN9 News Said. He will return to Edison High School remotely.

Nunez’s wake will take place Friday at Rees Funeral Home in Hobart from 2 to 8 p.m. The family has started a GoFundMe page that has raised $16,102 out of a $50,000 goal, as of 4 p.m. Thursday.

“This fund is NOT meant for medical expenses, but for an opportunity for the boys to experience life's many BLESSINGS after this horribly difficult time of their lives,” reads a description written on the page before Nunez’s passing. “This is meant for them to be able to DREAM about things they have not done before, such as college opportunities, a family vacation, and even car expenses.”

According to the Illinois Department of Public Health, at least 24,976 people have died in the state from COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.

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