An outpouring of grief has followed the death of a Central New York native who battled the coronavirus while working as a doctor at a Houston hospital.
Medical school classmates, colleagues, family and community members have fondly remembered Adeline Fagan in tributes since she died on Sept. 19.
Adeline, 28, was in her second year of residency in OB/GYN when she fell ill in early July. At the time she was tasked with delivering babies from mothers who were sick with Covid-19 and worked rotations in the ER treating Covid-19 patients.
She battled Covid-19 for two and a half months before her death.
Adeline graduated from medical school at the SUNY at Buffalo in 2019. According to her obituary, she made sure to meet and memorize the names of all 144 students in her class.
In a story published by the university, her former classmates and professors remembered Adeline as driven, caring, compassionate and always smiling.
“Adeline was a bright spot in an often-dark world, exuberantly joyful, humble, troubled by the woes of others, and determined to leave this world a better place through her outreach on many fronts,” Dr. Dori R. Marshall, associate dean and director of medical admissions and assistant professor of psychiatry, told the university.
Dr. Charles Severin, associate dean for student and academic affairs and associate professor of pathology and anatomical sciences, told the university that he works with so many students that it’s hard to remember every one of them.
“But Adeline I remember. What I remember the most was when she would smile and you looked at her face, even her eyes were smiling,” he told the university.
Adeline went on medical outreach trips to Haiti each of her four years in medical school.
Adeline Fagan, 28, is a LaFayette native. Now a resident doctor at a Houston, Texas hospital, she is currently on life support after becoming sick with Covid-19.
Maureen Fagan, Adeline’s younger sister, spoke with CNN following her sister’s death.
“We each now know exactly what Adeline wanted and what she gave in this life,” Maureen Fagan said. “I think that is enough to keep her alive within us and keep our family together, because there’s so much of Adeline that she can still give to this world, even if she’s not here.”
On the morning of July 8, Adeline was fatigued and had a headache. But by that evening, she barely had enough energy to walk. Maureen took her sister to the emergency room.
Adeline tested positive for Covid-19 and quarantined in her room she and Maureen shared in Houston. But after about one week, Adeline’s condition worsened. She began falling over in her bedroom and her lips turned blue, a sign her blood lacked oxygen.
On Aug. 4, doctors put Adeline on an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) machine, used in the worst Covid-19 cases.
In the days before her death, Adeline had been doing well, but the night before she died, the hospital called Adeline’s parents. They said Adeline had a massive brain bleed and was not responsive.
Doctors told the family that even with emergency surgery, there was a “one-in-a-million” chance that Adeline would survive. Her family opted against the surgery.
Adeline died on Sept. 19 at 4:24 a.m., “the time the world stopped for a moment and will never be the same,” her father Brant Fagan wrote in an online update.
Adeline Fagan (rear) and her three sisters: Maureen (left) Emily (center) and Natalie (right).
“If you can do one thing, be an ‘Adeline’ in the world,” Brant Fagan wrote. “Be passionate about helping others less fortunate, have a smile on your face, a laugh in your heart, and a Disney tune on your lips.”
Adeline was a LaFayette native who graduated from Bishop Ludden High School, where she played varsity lacrosse and was elected class president.
The family set up a GoFundMe fundraiser to help pay Adeline’s medical bills as well as travel expenses and living expenses for the family. It will now also be used for funeral expenses. More than $190,000 has already been raised.
Her funeral will be held Saturday, Oct. 3. The funeral will be live streamed online at holyfamilysyr.org.
Contact Jacob Pucci at jpucci@syracuse.com or find him on Twitter at @JacobPucci.