7-year-old Antonio Del Buono first-grader Courtney Quintana died
on Easter Sunday
Gilroy – Courtney Quintana was the quintessential little girl.
She loved all things princess related and even stored her medical supplies in a Snow White- and Cinderella-adorned tin. The 7-year-old, who exhibited strength and courage while suffering from a disease that kept her away from school, friends and all the staple ingredients of childhood, died Easter Sunday.
She was a first-grader at Antonio Del Buono Elementary School. Friends and family were devastated and shocked, considering Courtney had undergone a successful operation and was recovering.
“This just came out of nowhere,” said Heidi Mello, a family friend. “It was not expected. The doctors were shocked.”
In October, Courtney’s body was attacked by a viral infection that morphed into a rare disease called thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. Surgeons removed the majority of her small intestine and inserted a tube for intravenous feedings.
In December, the little girl with the brunette bob and infectious smile, underwent surgery to connect what was left of her small intestine to her large intestine. After the surgery, Courtney was recovering at home, receiving home-schooling.
She even celebrated her birthday at Chuck E. Cheese’s in March, Mello said. She was also looking forward to an August trip to Disneyland through the Make-A-Wish foundation.
But two weeks ago, she developed pneumonia and was admitted to the hospital. A blood infection traveled to her brain and Saturday she became unresponsive. She died Sunday afternoon.
The family managed to raised about $10,000 for medical expenses after staging a benefit concert in January. When Courtney’s mother was laid off from her job recently, she had to use a large portion of the money raised to cover costly insurance payments.
Services will be held Saturday at 1pm at Habing Family Funeral Home, located at 129 Fourth Street in Gilroy. The service will be kid-oriented and centered around the princess theme. In keeping with that theme the family also wrote Courtney’s obituary in the style of a fairy tale.
Contributions can be made to the Courtney Quintana Trust Fund, Wells Fargo Bank account number 6375067235.
