( CNN ) -- The common flu rarely kills the young and healthy , but the Schwolert family knows it can . Their 17-year-old son Max felt ill on December 22 as the family drove to Wisconsin for Christmas vacation , beginning a series of ups and downs that would ultimately claim his life . At first , Max took Tylenol for his symptoms : a mild fever and nausea . He woke up the next morning feeling well enough to play in the snow with his two sisters . His family endearingly called him `` Panda , '' for his gentle nature and 6 ' 4 '' height . Flu picks up steam across the United States . The next day , Christmas Eve , Max stayed home with a cough while his family attended church . The extra bed rest seemed to help . By Christmas day , Max felt better again , even participating in the family festivities . But later that night he took a turn for worse and never got better . `` He woke up very sick , '' said Tom Schwolert , Max 's father . `` He had an excessive 104.9 fever , and we could not break it , '' said Max 's mother Melanie . The Schwolerts took their son to the local hospital where he tested positive for the flu . `` Within 30 minutes the doctor was like , 'Something 's really wrong here . His kidneys are starting to fail . His blood pressure is really low , ' `` Tom remembered . Max had to be helicoptered to Regions Hospital in St. Paul , Minnesota , but there was no room on the flight for family . Max 's mother had to say good-bye to her sick son and drive separately . That `` broke my heart , '' she said . `` He looked at me and there were some tears rolling down his face . He said 'Mom , I 'm scared . ' I said , ' I know buddy , I am too . ' And then he saw me crying . He said , 'Mom it 's going to be OK , you 're going to be OK , I love you . And that 's really the last coherent thing he said to me . '' Max spent four days intubated in the intensive care unit at Regions . A staph bacterial infection soon led to septic shock . By December 29 , Max was dead . When the Schwolert family returned home from Minnesota , the college acceptance letter Max had been hoping for had finally been delivered . Map : State-by-state flu numbers .
17-year-old Max Schwolert died on December 29 . Max had to be helicoptered to Regions Hospital in St. Paul , Minnesota . He was a student at the University of North Dakota and lived with his parents near Fargo.