Friends, faculty grieve for Barrington High student
Family and friends of 17-year-old Maria Patino of Carpentersville are shattered by the Barrington High School junior's unexpected death Wednesday after an apparently successful kidney transplant.
Her cousin, Cesar Patino, said Maria's kidneys started to fail about a year and a half ago, putting her on dialysis and a waiting list for a new kidney.
She received one late last week, and spent the next few days seemingly on the road to recovery, he said.
But at about 6 p.m. Wednesday, she started to complain about feeling bad and called for the doctor. When he arrived, he said all the monitoring equipment said that she was stable. But shortly afterward she lost consciousness and died later that evening, Cesar said.
"It's hard to believe she's gone, because she was so young," he said.
Grief counselors Friday were helping many of Maria's friends and classmates at Barrington High School.
Principal Steve McWilliams said that while Maria had obviously been ill, everyone had expected her to make a full recovery.
In fact, some students and faculty members delayed a planned visit to the hospital Wednesday because they expected to be able to see her shortly afterward at home.
News of her death didn't break at the school until Thursday.
"This is absolutely a shock," McWilliams said.
Marni Johnson, chair of the special services department at Barrington High School, said Maria was a good student and a leader among her peers.
McWilliams added that illness had not prevented her from being an active member of the school community, including strong involvement with its Latino Leadership group.
"She was just a lovely, lovely girl to have in the building," McWilliams said.
Cesar Patino said school was especially important to his cousin because ever since her kidneys started to fail, all she could do was study.
But she'd also spent time volunteering at St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates with the idea of building toward a future career from the experience.
"She wanted to be in the medical field," Cesar said. "She said she wanted to be somebody."
Both Maria and Cesar have two younger sisters each who still attend schools in Barrington Unit District 220.
Cesar's sister, Lizbeth Patino, said she really loved her cousin Maria and is going to look after Maria's younger sisters on her behalf.
A visitation will take place from 5 to 9 p.m. Monday, Feb. 8, at the Community Funeral Home, 150 Dundee Ave. in East Dundee. The funeral will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 9, at St. Monica's Catholic Church, 90 N. Kennedy Drive in Carpentersville.
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<li><a href="/story/?id=356874">Barrington High student dies <span class="date">[02/04/10]</span></a></li>
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