WAVERLY, Ohio — A 17-year-old high school senior remains on life support at Nationwide Children’s Hospital after a severe case of the flu triggered a cascade of life-threatening complications, including cardiac arrest and lung failure. Jocey Tackett, described by her family as a “beautiful, bright, wildly talented” teenager, fell critically ill in early February and has been hospitalized since.
Tackett’s ordeal began on Feb. 11 when, after a few days of mild symptoms, her condition deteriorated rapidly. She was initially taken to a local emergency room in her county before being transferred to Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, where she was placed on life support. Two weeks later, her condition has stabilized somewhat but remains critical, with recovery expected to take months.
“She went from feeling slightly under the weather to fighting for her life in a matter of hours,” said a family friend who requested anonymity to focus attention on Tackett. “It’s been a rollercoaster—tiny steps of progress mixed with constant challenges.”
Tackett, a senior at Waverly High School, is under round-the-clock care, with at least two nurses assigned to her at all times and teams of specialists rotating through her room. She has undergone multiple surgeries to address emerging complications, alongside a regimen of tests, medications, and treatments to manage her symptoms.
Her mother, Renee Tackett, has not left her daughter’s side since the crisis began, sleeping on a small couch in the hospital room and only stepping away briefly to shower at the nearby Ronald McDonald House. Tackett’s sisters, described as her closest friends, have also spent time with her, ensuring she is surrounded by love. Family members braid her hair, keep her covered with soft blankets from home, and apply lotion to her hands and feet—small gestures to comfort her during her unconscious fight.
“Renee has been incredible,” the family friend said. “She’s in every meeting, talking to every doctor, learning medical terms she never thought she’d need to know.”
The Waverly community has rallied around the Tacketts, offering emotional and practical support. To ease the family’s financial burden during this prolonged medical crisis, a GoFundMe campaign has been launched. “We don’t want them to have one more thing to worry about,” the friend said. “Healing is going to take months, not days or weeks, and we want to carry them through this.”
Donations can be made through the GoFundMe page, with organizers urging those who are able to contribute. As of Wednesday, Tackett remained in critical condition, with her family holding onto hope for her recovery.