Hundreds Remember Owatonna Student Who Died Of Flu-Like Symptoms
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) - Hundreds of people in Owatonna came out to Morehead Park on Sunday to remember Shannon Zwanziger, a 17-year-old who died on Tuesday after having the flu.
At Sunday's memorial, people wore red, Shannon's favorite color, and got to look through some of her favorite pictures and artwork.
Zwanziger's father, Terry, had to write his thoughts down as he tried to make sense of how the flu they thought would pass claimed his healthy 17-year-old's life.
"It was preventable," Terry Zwanziger said. "I don't want it to happen to anyone else. Our message to parents is, 'Don't be afraid to advocate for your children.' Their lives are most prized possession you have."
He said he wants parents to trust their instincts and pay close attention after leaving the doctor's office.
"We left with cough syrup and nausea medication," he said. "Forty-eight hours later, Shannon died."
Her path was cut short, but Terry said she touched many peoples' hearts along the way.
"Nothing will bring Shannon back, or make loss of her life less painful, but if this saves another child's life, we will count her death meaningful," he said.
Zwanziger said he believes a simple blood test would have revealed a lethal level of potassium and dehydration in her system that the medical examiner told him contributed to her untimely death.
