‘She was a ray of sunshine’: Town mourns Palmetto High senior who died from covid
Palmetto High senior Aryana Santana lost her battle with COVID-19 this week.
Santana, 17, passed away on Tuesday, according to a GoFundMe page set up by her aunt, Linda Benavides, to help the Santana family with mounting medical bills.
On the post, Benavides wrote that Aryana “tested positive for COVID-19 that caused pneumonia in both her lungs.”
“You hear stories about COVID, and you just don’t think it is going to hit your family,” Benavides told NBC’s Tampa affiliate, WFLA. “It is hard for all of us.”
The GoFundMe has raised more than $18,000 to date.
On the original post, it was stated Aryana was an active JROTC and yearbook staff member, who was fighting the novel coronavirus at All Children’s Hospital’s intensive care unit.
In an update Tuesday on the page, Benavides shared the news that her niece had passed away.
“Our hearts are broken as we inform you of the passing of our beloved niece, Aryana (Ary) Santana,” the update said. “She will forever be missed and in our hearts. She was a ray of sunshine to our family and everywhere she went.”
The Manatee County School District released a statement on Aryana’s passing:
“Our prayers and thoughts are with the entire Santana family, their friends and loved ones, and with the students and staff at Palmetto High School,” the school district’s statement said.
In addition, a Facebook event page was set up to help support Aryana’s family. The event is Sunday.
The GoFundMe also said the virus spread throughout Aryana’s household, causing her grandfather to be hospitalized. He was released this week, the GoFundMe said.
According to the Manatee County School District’s COVID-19 dashboard, Palmetto High has the highest number of positive student cases since Aug. 10 at 151.
According to an online obituary, a celebration of life for Aryana is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 2 at 12 p.m. at Palmetto’s Impact Community Church, located at 209 7th Street West.
A visitation at the church is set for the same day between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. A committal service is slated Sunday, Oct. 3 at 2:30 p.m. at the Manasota Memorial Park in Bradenton.
This story was originally published September 24, 2021 at 11:21 AM.
