NEW ORLEANS — A Northshore family is heartbroken after losing their 12-year-old daughter to a fatal disease just before Christmas.
Kinsey Joseph died Monday night at Children's Hospital. She died peacefully in her father's arms as Christmas music played, her family said.
Kinsey suffered from a rare genetic disorder, the same one that killed her brother 18 years ago.
This holiday season, her parents said they are thankful for 12 and a half years with Kinsey, more than the five they had with their son Austin when they told him good-bye.
"It was such a rare thing. It couldn't possibly happen again," said Karen
"One in the millions, so we got the one in a million," said Todd Joseph, Kinsey's father.
Austin died 18 years ago. Doctors thought the seizures were epilepsy. Later it was believed brain damage caused his rapid mental and physical decline.
When Kinsey made it to nine, they thought they passed the danger zone of it happening again. And then it did.
"December, the day after the new Star Wars movie. I remember it. It happened at the Sam's parking lot. She just had a seizure," said Todd.
Over the last 20 years, tests for each child have come back normal, even genetic ones. And then just two months ago, as Kinsey declined the same way Austin did, a team at Children's Hospital believes she had a rare genetic disorder disrupting the cells' biochemical processes. They are still unsure exactly what it is.
Kinsey adored all animals, her Catahoula mix, Louie, and especially elephants.
So the Palliative Care team took the Josephs to the Audubon Zoo.
Kinsey petted Jean the elephant. Jean created art to hang in her room. Todd and Karen say their Christmas hope is for Kinsey to see December 25 and her new niece, due to arrive anytime, from her 25-year-old big sister Kelsea.
They say their children taught them the real meaning of Christmas gifts.
"'You have such a beautiful smile,'" Karen said Kinsey would tell people as she always looked to compliment them. "It costs nothing for anybody to be nice to anybody else, ever."
WWL-TV ran a story last week about the Joseph family. You can watch that video here:
