Illiana's mom says on the GoFundMe page that Amerie was her daughter's protector. She used to protect her child from bullies and made school a safe place for her. However, after her best friend's death, Illiana is having difficulty coping with this bitter reality and her body is showing symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder.
Uvalde Shooting Survivor, 11, Suffers From 'Cardiac Arrest' While Visiting Best Friend's Memorial
By
Samantha in
Heartbreaking
On 10th June 2022
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An 11-year-old girl who survived the tragic Uvalde Texas school shooting has been hospitalized after suffering a cardiac arrest while visiting her best friend's memorial.
The girl visited her best friend who used to watch out for her and protect her from the bullies.
“I think it’s just from a broken heart that we need to work on healing,” Illiana Treviño’s mom Jessica told People magazine.
“Everything just broke her in half, and she feels the fear of being bullied again.”
Facebook / Jessica Luna
According to Illiana's mom, her daughter's heart rate spiked when she went to place flowers and a teddy bear at the memorial for Amerie Jo Garza, 10, her best friend and one of 19 children and two teachers slaughtered at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.
The child has no medical history of heart issues, but according to the doctors she was close to getting a heart attack. She remains hospitalized in San Antonio more than a week after the scare.
Facebook / Jessica Luna
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During the Texas school shooting, Amerie lost her life while trying to call the police from her phone, the victim’s grieving grandmother Berlinda Arreola has said.
Illiana was left broken after she saw her friend's name on the list of victims.
“I told her, ‘I’m sorry, baby. There’s just some ugly people in the world,’” her mom told People.
Facebook / Jessica Luna
According to her mother, the girl's heart rate increased when she visited her friend's memorial on June 2 and she was rushed to the hospital.
“The hospital told me, ‘Your daughter’s going into cardiac arrest.’ And I said, ‘What?’” she told the news outlet. “Her heart [rate] skyrocketed because she couldn’t take the trauma … all the trauma and pain from it.”
Illiana was transferred to the hospital in San Antonio, where she is exhibiting signs of post-traumatic stress disorder, according to the report.
“Her body was basically shutting down completely. It couldn’t take it. Her body was basically reacting to the shock,” the mother said.
A photo memorial for Amerie Jo Garza| AFP via Getty Images
A GoFundMe page says that “Amerie would protect Illiana from bullies and always came to her aid … The medication that she’s been given is not working.
“The Doctors biggest worry is that she might go into cardiac arrest. We are barely seeing the ripples side effects of what this tragic incident has brought to this community.”
According to reports, more than $25,000 have been raised for Illiana.
“Amerie made her feel safe and made her feel OK to go to school,” Jessica told People.
“Amerie’s parents did an amazing job raising such a beautiful little love. It’s so sad how things work out in life, because it’s not fair. It really isn’t fair that any of these children lost their lives, but it just really breaks me more because I know how much this child did for my child,” she added.
GoFundMe
Illiana's cardiac arrest news comes only a few days after Joe Garcia lost his life when heartbroken by his wife's sudden demise during the Texas attack.
The family said it was brought on by the grief of his loss.
Facebook / Jessica Luna