LDL. 11-Year-Old Jace Watkins Dies After Sudden Turn From Flu to Medical Emergency, Hueytown Community Mourns

The Hueytown community is grieving the loss of Jace Watkins, an 11-year-old fifth grader at Hueytown Intermediate School, after a sudden and devastating medical crisis that began with what appeared to be a routine case of the flu.

With the family’s permission, word spread Saturday night that Jace passed away at 9:40 p.m. CT. The news has left classmates, teachers, neighbors, and friends stunned—especially because so many had been praying and hoping for a better outcome.

“We Were All Praying for Good News”

For days, people had been watching for updates, sending messages of encouragement, and lifting Jace’s name in prayer. Families who didn’t know the Watkins personally still felt connected, because this was a child—one of the “kids at school,” the kind of kid you imagine running through hallways and laughing with friends.

That’s why the loss is hitting so hard. The story didn’t unfold slowly. It turned, quickly.

According to family members, Jace first became sick with the flu about 10 days before his death. Like many families, they tried to manage it with rest and hope that he would bounce back the way kids usually do.

Then, the week brought a moment of relief.

He Seemed to Be Feeling Better—Then Everything Changed

The family shared that last week, Jace appeared to be improving. For a brief window, it looked like the worst had passed. But as the weekend arrived, Jace’s condition changed dramatically. He reportedly began experiencing seizures, a frightening and urgent emergency that no parent expects after a child has seemed to be on the mend.

In the chaos that followed, family members said Jace went without oxygen for several minutes before paramedics were able to bring him back. It was the kind of moment that changes everyone in a room—an instant where time splits into “before” and “after,” and nothing feels normal again.

Soon after, Jace was taken to Children’s of Alabama, where he fought for days.

A Fight at Children’s of Alabama

As Christmas approached, Jace remained under medical care, and the family’s hope was shared by a growing circle of supporters. In situations like this, families often describe living hour to hour—watching monitors, waiting through tests, clinging to any small sign of stability, and praying for a miracle.

Despite those efforts, Jace’s loved ones shared that he passed away Saturday night.

A School and a Town in Mourning

Jace’s death is not only a family tragedy—it’s a loss that ripples outward. At Hueytown Intermediate, his classmates and teachers are now processing the kind of grief that’s especially heavy in a school community. Kids feel loss differently. They ask honest questions. They struggle to understand why a friend is suddenly gone.

Parents in the area have described holding their own children a little tighter, reminded again how quickly life can change.

And for the Watkins family, this is the beginning of a long, painful road—learning how to live in a world without the child they loved.

Remembering Jace

Those closest to Jace describe him as a boy who was deeply loved, and the photos shared by the family show a child with a bright presence—one of those kids who leaves a mark simply by being himself.

Supporters have been asked to do what communities do best in moments like this: surround the family with kindness. Not with perfect words, because there aren’t any. Just with presence, prayers, and compassion.

“May His Memory Be a Blessing”

As the community responds, the family has expressed gratitude for the prayers and messages they’ve received—and they’ve asked people to continue, especially in the days ahead.

Grief doesn’t end when the news stops circulating. In many ways, it gets harder when the world moves forward and the family is still sitting in the same heartbreak.

For now, the request is simple: keep the Watkins family in your thoughts and prayers, and keep Jace’s classmates and school community lifted up as they begin to mourn together.

Jace Watkins was 11 years old. He was a student, a friend, a child with a future that mattered. And while his life ended far too soon, those who loved him are holding tightly to one hope—that his memory will continue to be honored with love.

May his memory be a blessing. 🙏🤍