Kalamazoo high school student dies of COVID-19 after showing signs of improvement

KALAMAZOO, Michigan – A mother in western Michigan mourns the loss of her daughter.

The Kalamazoo Central senior died this week after a months-long battle with COVID-19.

Omeka Bradford says her daughter was making progress to get better after a long battle with the virus.

She was preparing for her first in-person visit this week when she heard the shocking news.

“All I heard was that Taigan is dead. That’s all I remember they told me and they pushed me away,” Omeka said.

All Omeka has left of her little girl are memories and these senior photos.

“This is where we are, my pretty girl; silly, funny, laugh out loud, my baby’s gone,” Omeka said.

Omeka says 17-year-old Taigan lost his two-month battle with COVID-19 on Wednesday.

“On January 11, she was negative and we could get in. It was about 6:30 p.m., my next FaceTime. They called and said, ‘The doctors are in there; we can’t FaceTime, but we’ll call you back.'”

Omeka was heartbroken after believing that Taigan was improving.

“It was FaceTime, she said to me, ‘I love you’. She couldn’t say it, but I read her lips,” Omeka said.

Taigan, a senior from Kalamazoo Central, was months away from crossing the stage to graduate.

“She took dance lessons last year and now she dances non-stop now,” she said.

Omeka tells FOX 17 that she thinks her daughter caught the virus at school.

“COVID, she hasn’t just been to school, to the bus stop, you know, getting on the bus,” Omeka said. “She went to school, took the bus. She didn’t deal with a lot of people.”

Public schools in Kalamazoo, like many districts in Michigan, continue to deal with outbreaks of COVID-19.

According to the KPS COVID-19 dashboard, they saw 196 new student cases this week alone.

Omeka is sharing this message with the community regarding this pandemic.

“Get checked. I don’t care how you feel, whatever, runny nose, earache, you’ll get checked,” she said.

FOX 17 has contacted Kalamazoo Public Schools for comment on the loss and is awaiting a response.

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