A teenage girl who died just three days after falling ill has become the latest victim of Australia’s killer flu season.
Crystal-Lee Wightley was a happy and healthy 13-year-old who dreamed of becoming an WAFL star before she tragically died in her home in Baxter, Victoria, on Friday.
The Year 7 student first started feeling unwell on Tuesday, when she experienced a cold, fever, body aches and coughing.
On Friday she awoke at around 5.30am not feeling any better.
Her mother, Dymanty Fulham, sent her back to bed as they had a doctor’s appointment later that morning.
But just half-an-hour later when Ms Fulham went to Crystal-Lee’s room to check on her – she was lying in bed unconscious.
Crystal-Lee Wightley was a happy and healthy 13-year-old who dreamed of becoming an AFL star, before she died in her home in Baxter, Victoria on Friday

The year-seven student first started feeling unwell on Tuesday, when she experienced a cold, fever, body aches and coughing
Ms Fulham called Triple-0, but paramedics were unable to revive her and she was pronounced dead at the family home.
Crystal-Lee’s younger brothers Lincoln, 11 and Tommi, four, experienced flu-like symptoms the previous week but their conditions improved.
None of the three children had been vaccinated against the flu.
Two weeks earlier, Crystal’s grandmother Pam fell ill with flu-like symptoms and didn’t go to a doctor, but was able to get better on her own.
Crystal-Lee’s aunty Yvette Southgate told the Herald Sun the family was in denial over Crystal-Lee’s sudden death, as just three days earlier she was running around playing netball and football.

Three days after her first symptoms came on, she awoke at around 5.30am not feeling any better

Just three days after Crystal-Lee started feeling ill, her mother Dymanty Fulham (pictured) found her unconscious in her bedroom. She died in her home after paramedics were unable to revive her

Family member Channi Gartland (left) said Crystal-Lee was counting down the days to her fourteenth birthday, and remembered her for her kind, smart and beautiful soul
‘We are all shattered, everyone is mourning. None of us thought we needed to go to the hospital, she was perfectly healthy and was giggling and laughing with her cousins days before,’ she said.
Crystal-Lee’s grandmother Karyn James Wightley took to Facebook to share her grief, saying she is heartbroken at the death of her first granddaughter.
‘Big Poppy and Big Nanny will be waiting to put their arms around you and keep you safe until we meet again. Missed and loved always I just cant stop crying beautiful girl,’ Mrs Wightley wrote.
Mrs Southgate said: ‘Crystal only got sick on Tuesday night, we’re not talking a lot of time.’
She said Crystal-Lee’s mother is distraught and going through the motions of her grief.
She went on to say that the silver lining of the tragic death is that the whole family is booked in to get flu vaccinations first thing next week.
‘You hear about the vaccine being for the young and the elderly, the vulnerable… it’s not for the healthy girl who plays netball,’ Mrs Southgate said.
Family member Channi Gartland said Crystal-Lee was counting down the days to her fourteenth birthday, and remembered her for her kind, smart and beautiful soul.
‘We have tried to protect this beautiful girl for almost 14 years and there was nothing we could do. It was out of the hands of us all,’ she said.
The grieving family is urging anyone else with symptoms to seek medical help immediately.
Crystal-Lee’s death comes just days after flue also claimed the life of a two-year-old boy in Perth last Tuesday.
Elijah Hunyh had only just turned two when he caught a strain of influenza. His devastated family said the virus ‘spread like wildfire’ overnight and they had no warning signs.
He was admitted to his local Karratha Health Campus for treatment.

Elijah Hunyh had only just turned two when he caught a strain of influenza. His devastated family said the virus ‘spread like wildfire’ overnight and they had no warning signs. Pictured with his father Dave
Though the Royal Flying Doctor Service transported him to Perth Children’s Hospital as his condition worsened and his organs began to shut down.
In a matter of days, Elijah had passed away.
‘You will always have my heart as with your mummies and your baby sisters . My first boy I’m so proud of you! Mummy and daddy love you unconditionally!,’ his father Dave wrote online.
‘You were and still are the love of our lives, we couldn’t thank you enough for making us the happiest parents in the world.’

One-year-old Freddie Fields was recently diagnosed with mutated H3N2 after his parents rushed him to hospital when he was having trouble breathing. Thankfully he is on the mend
More than 220 people have been killed by influenza this year and more than 120,000 Australians have battled the symptoms.
Statistics have proved alarming for this early on in the flu season, skyrocketing above previous years.
But the horror is tipped to get worse with doctors claiming one strand of the infection has mutated.
Testing has shown the H3N2 strain of flu has mutated, according to the World Health Organisation Influenza Centre – with a one-year-old boy catching the virus.
One-year-old Freddie Fields was recently diagnosed with mutated H3N2 after his parents rushed him to hospital when he was having trouble breathing.
‘It was just a really awful experience – really, really scary,’ his mother Natalie Fields said.
Results showed Freddie tested positive to Influenza A – the most common strain of flu. But he had the rarer A-sub type called H3N2.
However doctors are still advising Australians to get vaccinated against other strains of the flu.
‘On the surface of the influenza virus there are a couple of proteins called H and N,’ Dr Penny Adams told Nine News.
She said pre proteins can sometimes change in small amounts, so vaccines are made to target those proteins.
But if the proteins change then vaccinations might not work as well.
‘The flu vaccine we have all got this winter it is effective… (It) covers four strains. It is only one strain that has changed. (The vaccine) is still effective for the others.
‘I give the analogy it is a bit like a seatbelt in a car. You can still have a car accident but if have got your seat belt on you will have more protection, less injuries.’
Doctors still encourage people to get vaccinated, which could reduce the severity of the mutated strain, and will also protect against three other flu strains.