A 13-year-old boy from Claremont died after experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, though he tested negative for the virus, it was reported Friday.
It’s not clear what caused Maxx Cheng’s death, but he started to experience coronavirus symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting and chest pains, on July 4, his older sister Charlotte told KCAL9.
He was tested for the virus on July 9, but the results were negative, Cheng said to KCAL9.
Maxx isolated at home despite the negative test results, and his family found him passed out when they were checking on him, according to KCAL9.
He died Thursday evening after days of seeming to improve, KCAL9 reported.
“There was almost no cough,” Cheng told KCAL9. “The fever had gone down three days before he passed.”
Maxx, who was on a swim team, was athletic, energetic and active, Nichole Weinstein, a family friend, told KCAL9.
Weinstein, who has a daughter in Maxx’s class, started a GoFundMe account with two other mothers whose children were friends with Maxx.
According to the page, Maxx attended Claremont’s El Roble Intermediate School, where he played viola in the orchestra and competed in speech and debate.
The fundraiser had raised over $27,000 of its $40,000 goal by Friday afternoon.
Those wishing to donate can find the page at www.gofundme.com/f/maxx-cheng.