New mom may have died of H1N1

TOLEDO, Ohio - A new mother of twins from Springfield Township died Thursday from possible complications of H1N1, the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department said on Friday.

Health department spokesman Larry Vasko told FOX Toledo News that 24-year-old Mandy Kimbler died Thursday at Toledo Hospital. She had given birth to twin boys in the past week. They remain inside Toledo Children's Hospital's NICU.

"We have a little girl at home who looks just like her," said Kelli Emahiser, Kimbler's sister. "We also have the boys, Bradley and Braden. Bradley looks just like her. They are right now keeping us strong."

Vasko said the cause of Ms. Kimbler's death is "suspected to be complications from H1N1" or Swine Flu. She was admitted to Toledo Hospital in late October for flu-like symptoms. She delivered her sons prematurely last week by cesarean section. According to her Facebook page they were not due until early January.

Emahiser said her sister says Mandy went to the hospital because she was suffering flu-like symptoms and was having trouble breathing.

"That night I got a text message at 5:13 in the morning saying 'I'm going to the hospital'," she said.

County Health Commissioner Dr. David Grossman said it's too early to know for sure if she did in fact die from H1N1, but based on her symptoms it is presumed.

Samples have been sent to a lab for analysis, but it will be a few more days until county health officials obtain the results and can confirm she was infected with Swine flu.

The Health Department says right now it is too early to know for sure if she did in fact die from H1N1, but based on her symptoms it is presumed.

Her sister said Kimbler planned on getting vaccinated against the H1N1 Swine flu. To his knowledge Ms. Kimbler had no other underlying illness and was not vaccinated against H1N1 Dr. Grossman said.

"To us it really re-emphasizes how important the vaccine is and how life-saving it can potentially be," he said during a news conference Friday afternoon.

(FOX Toledo's Heather Miller contributed to this report)