Girl who died after collapsing at Ky. middle school recently had COVID, family says

Valarie Honeycutt Spears
·2 min read
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A 13-year-old girl who died Tuesday after falling ill at Wayne County Middle School had recently been diagnosed with COVID-19 and had been released from quarantine eight days before, her stepfather and the coroner confirmed.

Autopsy results were still incomplete for Kensey Rose Dishman Wednesday afternoon and the cause of death was not yet known, said Wayne County Coroner Gordon Hicks.

“She had trouble with breathing during COVID,” said Kensey’s stepfather, Brett Gibson.

“She had trouble with her airway and her heart rate,” Gibson said. “Her blood pressure had been high the day before (she died). She just seemed like she never got over it. Her breathing was really labored when she had COVID. She never really got away from that.”

Gibson confirmed that Kensey’s breathing became labored before classes started at Wayne County Middle School Tuesday and she went to the bathroom. A friend alerted teachers that Kensey had passed out.

Her mother was also at the school and was escorted by staff to the bathroom where Kensey had regained consciousness and was talking to nurses who were attending to her, Gibson said. At that point, Kensey had a seizure. Once she came out of the seizure, she was still responsive, asking her mother for help as she was struggling to breathe and having pain in her side.

Kensey lost consciousness again and emergency medical technicians transported her to Wayne County Hospital. Hicks said he pronounced her dead at the hospital. He said he did not suspect any foul play in her case.

“Her family was with her when she passed,” said Gibson, a photographer and writer for the Clinton County News.

Gibson said health department officials had released Kensey from quarantine on Feb. 14.

Kensey had not had a COVID-19 vaccine, Gibson said.

“A lot of people cared about her,” Gibson said. “She was a bright light for us.”

Kensey was the daughter of Brett and Kim Gibson and Adam and Michaela Dishman.

Talbott Funeral Home in Albany is in charge of arrangements.