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Miami unable to confirm if freshman died from H1N1

Contributed photo Matt Healey

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Staff report Updated 9:23 PM Sunday, September 27, 2009

OXFORD — Miami University officials tonight are unable to confirm whether a freshman who died this weekend passed away due to the H1N1 virus.

Matt Healey, 18, of Boston, Mass., died Saturday, Sept. 26 in Cincinnati, according to Miami officials.

Healey’s death is being blamed on the swine flu, according to the Patriot Ledger in Quincy, Mass. However, university officials would not confirm the diagnosis, but said counselors would meet in Healey’s former residence hall to provide support for the students there.

When contacted tonight, a spokesperson for the Hamilton County Coroner’s Office said information regarding Healey’s death could not be released.

Healey apparently became ill shortly after arriving at the campus for his first year at the school.

On Sept. 4, his friends started posting well wishes to his Facebook page that he would overcome the swine flu. Hundreds of posts followed, wishing him well. They progressively got more urgent as his condition apparently worsened.

Now, the Web page is filled with memorial messages.

“Matt, you were the greatest,” one post stated. “You were funny, kind, helpful, talented, considerate, and so much more. You added brightness into all the lives you touched, whether you saw a person once or everyday. The world is a darker place for having lost you, but I hope that everyone who knew you can spread brightness of their own by striving to follow your example.”

Healey was enrolled in the College of Arts and Sciences at Miami but had not declared a major.

On Sept. 24, Miami officials posted a notice to students, reminding them if they showed signs of the flu to see a doctor or go to the student health center.

“If a roommate or friend exhibits any of these signs, please encourage them not to wait to seek help,” the notice stated. “If you become ill and have a history of asthma or any other chronic respiratory disease, you should seek medical care right away. We also recommend that you contact your family and your medical specialist.”

Last week, a Miami graduate who it was suspected contracted the H1N1 virus died. Yet the family of Kimi Young recently said she did not die from the H1N1 virus, according to a Toledo newspaper.

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