"She was so nice. She was so shy, but when you got to know her, she was just great," said classmate Jillian Van Kampen.
Fahle's school, with 3,100 students, continued to follow Centers for Disease Control cleaning procedures by sanitizing and scrubbing door handles and locker rooms, and offering hand sanitizer if students have a fever. The school is asking parents to keep kids home for at least 24 hours after a fever breaks.
"I found out on Facebook, and everyone, all their statuses were about her, saying, like, rest in peace. It's really sad, but I don't know. I'm still in shock about it," said classmate Maria Gryglesky.
On their first day back to school Tuesday after her death, Fahle's classmates at Naperville North High School remembered her in special ways Tuesday. While some students wore black, others wore Fahle's favorite colors. One classmate even painted her nails in remembrance.
"We got sick at the same time. We both got it at the same time," said Alexa Hansen, Michelle Fahle's best friend.
Hansen also got sick and is recovering. She believes the two were infected after comforting an ill classmate.
According to the DuPage County Coroner's Office, Fahle had an undiagnosed heart condition. More tests are needed before the exact cause of death is determined. They suspect that condition may have contributed to her death.
There is a concern among some health officials that the number of H1N1 cases among children could get worse because many parents are not going to have their children vaccinated. A recent Associated Press poll found 38 percent of parents say they are unlikely to have their children vaccinated for the swine flu, many citing concerns over possible side effects from the vaccine.
Fahle's family has not yet made a public comment. Her friends have posted a tribute video for her on YouTube.
