ROSEVILLE-
A Roseville family is grieving this holiday season after their 11-year-old daughter died during a Thanksgiving trip to Hawaii.
Paige had an unknown allergic reaction that put her in a coma.
“Usually, I could get it under control and this time I just knew something was wrong,” mom Karin Carpenter said.
Paige always had food allergies and was sensitive to things in the environment. When her family arrived in Honolulu for Thanksgiving, all of that seemed to disappear.
“She was just lit up in excitement and she was so so happy to be where we were,” Carpenter said.
Soon after, Paige went swimming with her younger sister Violet and a friend.
“Probably about 10 to 15 minutes into that, she started complaining that her nose was burning,” Carpenter told FOX40.
Paige’s throat started to swell up and her breathing became so bad that their host had to call 911.
“She looked at me and said, ‘I’m dying. I know I’m going to die because I can see the look on your face,'” Carpenter said.
The 11-year-old never made it home from Hawaii.
She loved to draw, and her parents say she lives on through her artwork. While her family grieves, her sister Violet is also making sure that they live.
“Violet has been our ray of sunshine, keeping us eating and just taking care of ourselves,” Carpenter said.
Violet even insisted the Christmas decorations go up, because it’s what Paige would’ve wanted.
Carpenter is not sure what caused Paige’s reaction. She’s told anything from volcanic ash to the temperature of the pool could have contributed.
Paige’s funeral will be some time in January.
The Carpenter family is also thankful for the donations they’ve been getting on Paige’s GoFundMe site.
*Paige’s mom, Karin, is incorrectly identified in the video story above.
