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Boy who loved Hawkeye Wave dies at age 7.
IOWA CITY – A 7-year-old who spent nearly a year in the hospital died Saturday, according to his family’s Facebook page.
Will Kohn, 7, of Bettendorf, Iowa, was the first patient admitted to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital’s new building. He entered the hospital a little more than a year ago, on Jan. 6, 2017, and stayed for 332 days.
Will loved the Hawkeye Wave, which he watched during his stay at the children’s hospital in 2017. The gesture originated in September when a football fan, Krista Young of Anita, Iowa, suggested that fans hold a “wave to the kids” minute during every game because the hospital’s top floor was designed so every inch of the field is visible from the west-facing windows.
Will was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a significant heart abnormality in which his left ventricle was severely underdeveloped. He went through several surgeries before he was put on the heart transplant list at age 3 1⁄2.
A match was found Sept. 14 but Will faced other hurdles, according to the Team Will Facebook page. He spent his seventh birthday, Nov. 12, at the hospital but was able to head home about a month later.
After two weeks at home, bleeding in his bowels sent him back to the hospital two days before Christmas. He was able to return home Christmas Day, but doctors diagnosed the problem as large Bcell lymphoma in early January.
His bowel became perforated, and sepsis set in last week.
Chris Kohn, 44, of Bettendorf said his son’s tough nature helped him survive as long as he did.
“He fought through some things no one ever thought he’d get through,” Kohn said. “He was an awesome kid.”
Football fans hold a “wave to the kids” minute during every game because the hospital’s top floor was designed so every inch of the field is visible from the westfacing windows.