Boy, 13, dies days after being diagnosed with RSV

EL RENO, Okla. (KOCO) - The family of a 13-year-old boy from Oklahoma is struggling to understand his death just days after he was diagnosed with respiratory syncytial virus.

Daniel Maifield, 13, was diagnosed with RSV at urgent care on Sunday, but he progressively got sicker and started having trouble breathing. He was rushed to the hospital Monday night, where he died the next day.

“He was always happy,” said Kambry Maifield, Daniel’s sister. “He was always laughing, even when he got in trouble.”

Daniel Maifield, 13, died after he was diagnosed with respiratory syncytial virus. He was one... — Daniel Maifield, 13, died after he was diagnosed with respiratory syncytial virus. He was one of the only boys in his large, blended family, and he was quite the daredevil with a passion for riding dirt bikes.(Source: Maifield Family, KOCO via CNN)

His family says the 13-year-old had an autoimmune deficiency disorder.

“Every time when I would see him weak, it would make me so sad for him,” Maifield said. “He would get so weak that he could barely talk… like his tongue was swollen. You could barely understand what he said.”

Daniel was a 7th grader at Etta Dale Junior High School. He was one of the only boys in his large, blended family, and he was quite the daredevil with a passion for riding dirt bikes.

“Daniel was a great young man,” said El Reno Public Schools Superintendent Matt Goucher. “He just had an infectious smile.”

Family and friends also say the 13-year-old gave the best hugs, and the world will not be the same without him.