JACKSONVILLE, Fla — When Kendall Whitaker's son, Easton Whitaker, started receiving hospice care she didn't know how much time he would have left, but she knew she wanted to spend every moment with him.
As a paramedic working with COVID-19 patients in the emergency room at Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville, she didn't want to risk exposing him to the coronavirus. Last month she made the tough decision to send him and his 7-year-old brother to stay with her mother, Stephanie Murphy, seven hours away.
Thanks to the generosity of strangers, more than $23,000 was donated to her so she could take a leave of absence from work and be reunited with her boys. Just nine days before he passed away, Easton Whitaker got to come home and be with his mom. Tuesday morning after being treated for pneumonia, Easton Whitaker died. His mother was by his side.
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"What we believe it was was his congestive heart failure," Murphy said. "I can't imagine if she hadn't been afforded these last days. We had no idea these would be Easton's last days, but Kendall got to hold him and love on him and this community afforded her that opportunity."
What she said she will remember most about her grandson is his big smile.
"He would cock his head to the side and squinch his nose and have the biggest grin," she said. "He made the best of every day he had on this earth."
Easton Whitaker fought a long, hard battle. Born with a congenital heart condition, he had a heart transplant when he was just two months old, followed by years of complications. His grandmother said we can all learn a lot from him.
"Learn to never give up on someone. You never know how much strength a person has," Murphy said. He fought so hard and he smiled through his battles. He didn't let them stop him, so we all need to all fight through our battles and do the best that we can do and be as kind as we can to each other."
Easton Whitaker's grandmother said what his family needs now are prayers.