A Utah mother has recalled living through every parent's worst nightmare when her adorable boy died just days after his third birthday after a cold spiraled into a series of infections.
Jace Patrick, of Ogden, Utah, had been a happy baby that was full of energy, even on the days leading up to his sickness.
But on March 13 the three-year-old died, succumbing to a month-long battle of multiple respiratory illnesses, including pneumonia and the flu.
Jace, who had been planning a trip to Disney with his family for his birthday, stopped breathing on February 15.
He didn't have a fever, just a small cough, but the family noted he had seemed 'off' that day, leading them to take him to the hospital, they told East Idaho News.
On the way there the blonde-haired boy stopped breathing, causing his father to exit the car and start pounding on people's doors, screaming: 'We need help!'
Nearby firefighters came to help the family, while paramedics intubated Jace and rushed him to the hospital, his mother, Kelsie Garrett Patrick, recalled to the outlet.
'We just went from he had a little cold ... to he's not breathing,' she said.
Jace Patrick, of Ogden, Utah, died on March 13 after battling multiple respiratory infections
The three-year-old spent his birthday in the hospital after he stopped breathing on February 15
Jace was life-flighted to a children's hospital in Salt Lake City, where he tested positive for the flu, RSV, pneumonia, and strep.
The combination of illnesses had started to shut down his heart, his mother told the outlet.
That night, doctors hooked Jace up to an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine, a form of life support.
While in the hospital, Jace underwent brain surgery, dealt with sepsis, blood clots from the ECMO machine, internal bleeding, and even a stroke, a GoFundMe for the family revealed.
The family went through an 'emotional rollercoaster' for weeks, leading to one final dramatic moment that left his parents devastated.
'When the alarms go off, all of the doctors go running,' Kelsie recalled of her son's final moments. 'They grab their bags, and they just sprint. They call out: "Where's the room?" And they just sprint to have all hands on deck.
'The alarm went off ... and I just knew.'
The combination of illnesses had started to shut down his heart, which caused him to stop breathing in February. While hospitalized, he suffered from blood clots, a stroke, and more
His parents were at his bedside when he took his last breath and told him they loved him
The parents went to their son's bedside and were there with him when he took his final breath.
As he did so, his dad told him: ‘Hey buddy, I have a secret... I love you.’
It was a saying the child had echoed to his parents for years and one that sent him off.