COLUMBUS (WCMH) –A 9-year-old boy taken to Nationwide Children’s Hospital over the weekend has died from complications related to the flu.

According to his family, Korbyn Mathias was playing on a trampoline in his backyard on Saturday. Then his mother told her friend Nicole Strine, he had a cough and difficulty breathing that evening. Korbyn was rushed to Marion General Hospital where he was stabilized and then taken by helicopter to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, where he was declared brain-dead on Monday.

Family friend Nicole Strine said,  9-year-old Korbyn Mathias’ organs are being donated to several people in need giving some relief to his family who are grieving his sudden death.

“He wanted to be a paramedic, he wanted to help people, so his parents agreed that him donating his organs would be the best thing,”  Strine said.

She said the family was able to donate his organs including his heart and eyes to eight different people.

“They are very happy that this tragedy of losing him can be turned into something even greater,” said Strine.

Korbyn’s mother Beth also suffers from asthma and Strine said she understands the symptoms, but said no one knew he had the flu too.

“He had an asthma attack, tried his inhaler didn’t work. Tried a nebulizer didn’t work. His mom was getting him ready to go to the hospital and he said ‘Mommy I can’t,’ and passed out, and she had to do CPR.” Strine said.

Beth Mathias told her Korbyn had stopped breathing and was turning blue. She said the ambulance was there in six minutes.

The Marion Health Department said they examine all deaths from county residents under 18-years-old.

“Because what we are really trying to do is a retrospective review of the circumstances that surrounded that death, and see where the opportunities were to intervene to prevent it,” saidTom Quade, Marion County Health Commissioner.

Korbyn’s schoolmate at George Washington Elementary were told about his death on Tuesday. Kurt Moore with Marion City Schools said grief counselors are available and the elementary school principal sent a letter home to parents with suggestions of how to talk with their children about his death.

Strine said plans are still in the works to honor Korbyn at his school.