Disbelief: Du Quoin Teen Dies From Pneumonia

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[This isn't supposed to happen--but it did--and a sense of loss and disbelief overcame the entire community this morning following Wednesday's death of Jacob Craig, the teenage son of Mr. and Mrs. Lance Craig of Pawnee Drive in Du Quoin.

Jacob was part of a tremendous family and a 2010 graduate of the Du Quoin High School. Jacob had gone on to John A. Logan College where he was taking general studies classes with an eye toward computer science, according to his mother, Teresa Craig.

The loss was numbing to staff and fellow students at the Du Quoin High School who knew and loved him. The common thought among everyone: He was just great!

Jacob was all about everything--the great outdoors, backyard football and academics, with a love of family and friends.

Teresa said Jacob wasn't feeling well over the weekend.

Much of the town has been in the grip of an unforgiving flu season. As his symptoms worsened she took him to the emergency room as his temperature rose to 104.8 degrees. He was hurting on the left side of his chest and test results that evening confirmed that he had pneumonia, concentrated in his left lung.

An antibiotic regimen was prescribed. Teresa said by Monday that regimen was in place and all felt that it would take a "few days" for Jacob to start feeling better. The family took care of him, checked on him all the time and met every need of a sick teenager.

"He had been sleeping all day Wednesday and we thought that would help," she said. He passed away Wednesday afternoon at his home. "We don't know if it was the pneumonia or a reaction to the antibiotic," he said. "We don't know."

Arrangements are pending at the Searby Funeral Home in Du Quoin. The First Baptist Church at the corner of North Washington and East Park streets will open its doors at 6 p.m. Thursday evening to provide comfort to friends and family members.

It goes without saying that the entire community is with this family, and the loss affects us all.

Visitation is Sunday and services are Monday at 10 a.m. at the First Baptist Church in Du Quoin.