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Local 21-year-old dies of flu complications

Kyler Baughman was a seemingly fit 21-year-old who was working and going to school like any normal 21-year-old.

"He was into physical fitness," said his mother, Beverly Baughman. "He was going to school to be a personal trainer."

But when he came to visit for the holidays, he wasn't looking like he was in peak condition.

Photo courtesy the Baughman family

"We saw him the 23rd for our family Christmas get-together and we noticed he wasn't feeling well,” Beverly Baughman said. “He looked rundown and had a bit of a snotty nose."

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He celebrated with family again Christmas night, and returned to work Tuesday, but he came home early, because he wasn't feeling well.

"He kinda just laid down and went about his day and that was the day he was coughing and said his chest hurt, he had a mild cough," said his fiancée Olivia Marcanio.

"I think he thought, 'I just got the flu, I'll be alright. I'll go rest a little bit,'" Beverly said.

Within two days, Baughman's health took a turn for the worse. He was running a fever on and off. On Wednesday, he went to a Westmoreland County emergency room, then was flown to UPMC Presbyterian in Pittsburgh where he died not even 24 hours later.

His mother said it was from complications from the flu.  According to his family, he did not get a flu shot.

"Organ failure due to septic shock caused by influenza,” she said. "It doesn't seem real."

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The Baughmans are now left grieving a sudden and most unexpected loss, but they're hoping by sharing Kyler's story, it could help save someone else.

"Try and know your body. Don't let things go,” said Kyler’s father, Todd Baughman. “Whenever you have a fever for multiple days, don't let it go, get it taken care of."

“I just think he ignored it and thought it’d go away like most people, and I think people need to pay more attention to their bodies," said Beverly Baughman.