It was a sad way to begin the holiday break for teachers, students and staff at Hunt Intermediate School. Thursday, they got the news a student at the school passed away the day before. Twelve-year-old Traveres R. Malone Jr. died at the University Medical Center in Jackson, Thursday morning; he needed a heart transplant.
Traveres, the son of Kim Moore, suffered heart problems from birth and also had trouble breathing. He would take breathing treatments at school.
Six weeks into the school year, doctors at UMC advised his mother to keep him at home, and Columbus Municipal School District assigned Traveres a homebound teacher.
Monday, Moore called the teacher to let her know Traveres was in Jackson. He had been in Jackson the Monday prior, then returned home and continued his schoolwork for the rest of the week. His homebound teacher, Susie Barry, expected the same this week.
“He was a very mannerable student, very quiet, very respectful, hard working, willing to just try,” said Barry, who worked with Traveres for about a month. “He was really a very nice student.”
A homebound teacher for four years, Barry has never lost a student.
“(I”m) in shock and everything,” she said. “I”m more concerned about his family than anything.”
His mother also expected Traveres to come back home.
“When he wasn”t sick, he was in real good spirits. He loved to be around people,” Moore said of her son.
Like other boys his age, Traveres liked to play video games. And prior to this year, he was able to attend school regularly.
Traveres was born with only three chambers in his heart; a normal heart has four. Years ago, he had to have open-heart surgery, his mother said.
In February, Traveres started coughing up blood.
“This time was his third time being in intensive care this year, for the same thing,” Moore said.
Traveres” 10-year-old sister seems to be coping well, Moore added. School counselor Liz Brewer said Traveres” classmates also are coping well.
Services for Traveres are Monday at 1 p.m. at Hunt Intermediate, on 20th Street North. Visitation is Sunday from 3-8 p.m. at Carter”s Funeral Services on 14th Street North in Columbus.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.