Skylar Herbert, the 5-year-old daughter of two Detroit first responders has died of complications from coronavirus.
She died Sunday at Beaumont Royal Oak Hospital after being on a ventilator for two weeks, CNN affiliate WXYZ reported.
Skylar tested positive for coronavirus last month and developed a rare form of meningitis and swelling on the brain, according to WXYZ.
“The loss of a child, at any time, under any circumstances, is a tragedy,” Beaumont Hospital said in a statement obtained by WXYZ. “We are heartbroken that COVID-19 has taken the life of a child. We extend our deepest sympathy to Skylar’s family and all others who have lost a loved one to this virus.”
Skylar’s mother has been a Detroit Police officer for 25 years and her father has worked as a firefighter with the Detroit Fire Department for 18 years, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said during a Monday news conference.
“They’ve been on the frontline and they’ve served with honor and integrity and they did not deserve to lose their child to this virus,” Whitmer said. “Nobody does.”
Detroit has been hit hard by the virus, with at least 7,736 people testing positive and 641 deaths, according to the Michigan Health Department website.
Those who have died have ranged in age from 5 to 107 years old, according to the website.
