17-year-old hospitalized due to flu improving

ATLANTA - Students at Troup County High School have rallied around a 17-year old who has been hospitalized for 20 days with severe flu complications.

FOX 5 News reported last week about 17-year-old John Chelcy of LaGrange.

Some good news this week from Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, he's now off dialysis for kidney failure and his pneumonia is clearing up.

FLU LANDS 17-YEAR-OLD IN THE ICU WITH KIDNEY FAILURE

The teen's mother Latoya says neither of her sons got a flu shot because she had no idea the virus could cause these kinds of complications.

"They found fluid in his lungs. So, now they're putting more dialysis on him. Trying to get the fluid off,” his mother said. “And every day it's something.  One day he'll be good, the next day, he'll be back to something else.  Something else is wrong. And all of this is just because of the flu.”

A family friend has created a GoFundMe account to help the family.

Doctors hope John will be out of the hospital by the end of the week.