Family shocked after blood clot takes teen's life

COWETA COUNTY, Ga. — The family of a Coweta County teenager says they never expected her broken ankle would lead to a fatal blood clot.

Kelly Paige Gann was just 16-years-old.

"She never had a life. She just started hers," said Gann’s sister, Michelle Jerard.

Jerard said the death of her teenaged sister was the last thing her family expected as she recovered from a fractured ankle.

“She was sitting down and she stood up and her foot was asleep and they said that was common among women,” said Jerard.

Doctors treated the ankle with a cast. Jerard said Kelly was just days away from getting it off. Other than that, she was fine.

"No problems. Never had any health issues,” Jerard said. "She was getting out of the bathtub and my mom noticed it was hard for her to breathe a little bit."

Jerard said when paramedics arrived, Kelly was talking to them, describing her symptoms.

"On the way to the hospital, that's when I believe she coded for the first time,” said Jerard.

Medics and doctors revived her multiple times at the hospital.

"On the sixth time the nurse came out and said it had been six minutes,” said Jerard. You know, they can breathe for her, but they can't move the blood through her body.”

An autopsy revealed a blood clot had traveled to her heart.

The funeral home gave them some time to pay off their bill, but Jerard said the cemetery needed payment up front.

So Kelly's mom took a loan against her car title. As the family struggles to pay the more than $14,000 dollars in funeral costs, Jerard created a GoFundMe page.

She is hoping to provide her mother with some relief.

"She feels awful that she can't pay for it herself,” said Jerard.

Those wishing to help can donate on the family's GoFundMe page

WSBTV