At her Texas high school, Avery Koonce excelled as an athlete and set records in the 100- and 200-meter dashes.
She joined the women’s track and field team at the Air Force Academy because of her love of running. Sadly, at the young age of 19, she is no longer able to enjoy the rush and independence that come with her favorite sport.
Her family, friends, and the whole Air Force Academy community are devastated by her sudden passing.
Emergency personnel showed up at Air Force Academy freshman Avery Koonce’s Colorado Springs dorm room on September 4, 2024.
Avery Koonce posted this on Thursday, September 7, 2023.
They found 19-year-old Avery dead, and no matter how hard they tried to bring her back to life, it was too late. It was sad. Since there were no outward indications of trauma to account for her terrible fate, she was pronounced dead at the site.
CBS News reports that Avery was initially found unconscious in her bunk by other cadets. In order to provide her bereaved family and friends answers, an investigation was quickly started.
Reason for death
A devastating truth was discovered during the El Paso County Coroner’s Office autopsy. Avery had passed away from pneumonia-related complications.
According to the New York Post, “paeniclostridium sordelli sepsis complicating parainfluenza laryngotracheobronchitis,” a dangerous bacterial infection that developed after a viral infection in her lungs, was the cause of death.
Paeniclostridium sordelli is an uncommon anaerobic bacterium that is known to cause toxic shock-like syndrome, according to Wikipeida.
An acute viral lower respiratory tract infection further exacerbated Avery’s condition, and People reports that the Air Force Academy student had a bad cough in the days before she passed away.
Sadly, this devastating loss might have been avoided. Dr. Michael Baden, a forensic pathologist, told IBT that if her disease had been identified sooner, antibiotic treatment might have had a big impact.
By taking advantage of the weakened immune system brought on by the viral infection, the bacteria that caused the sepsis emerged as a secondary infection.
Everyone was shocked.
Her left lung and blood both contained the bacterium.
“Basically, she passed away from untreated pneumonia,” Dr. Baden said, adding that the confluence of the bacterial sepsis and viral lung infection probably caused symptoms like fever, coughing, and breathing difficulties before she passed away.
This unfortunate ending seems to have resulted from Avery’s failure to properly understand the severity of her situation.
Everyone who knew her was surprised by her sudden death. She had just graduated from Texas’s Thrall High School and was starting her freshman year at the Air Force Academy. Avery, who maintained outstanding grades while excelling in cheerleading, powerlifting, band, and cross country, was described as a committed and driven student.
She wanted to work as a physical therapist for pilots, so she planned to major in biology and minor in kinesiology.
About 100 of Avery’s Air Force Academy classmates traveled from Colorado to Texas to attend a memorial service at Tiger Stadium in Thrall on September 12.
Despite her short tenure at the school, Avery had a significant influence on her squadron, track team, and class. “We lost an incredible teammate,” stated USAFA Superintendent Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind.
The academy also issued an emotional message from Avery’s family, who were devastated by her abrupt departure: “Our daughter, Cadet Avery Koonce, was an incredibly bright light in this broken world.” Her absence will always have a negative impact on our lives.
“So many people genuinely love Avery.” Knowing that Avery is in the arms of her Heavenly Father and that we shall see her again gives us serenity. Despite her imperfections, Avery was the ideal daughter. Our sole priorities at the moment are caring for her brothers and figuring out how to deal with Avery’s loss. For the 19 incredible years we had Avery as our own, we are incredibly grateful. We are sending up prayers for everyone dealing with the terrible gloom of her passing.
Track athlete of the year, cross country leadership award, and outstanding girls lifter for powerlifting! Junior year sports banquet ✅ pic.twitter.com/7GCaDbvmMI
— Avery Koonce (@AveryKoonce) May 16, 2023
Let’s honor Avery’s drive, her aspirations, and the positive influence she had on everyone around her as we remember her. Many people were impacted by her lively personality and unwavering commitment to her goals, including her family and friends back home in Thrall as well as her students at the Air Force Academy.
Peace be with you, Avery!