When Sue Mueller took her son David to the emergency room with flu symptoms, there was absolutely no indication the illness would claim his life in five days.

An insurance agent who was studying to be a nurse, David Mueller was just about to turn 31.

He was young. He was healthy.

David Mueller had started feeling a little ill on Feb. 22, 2013, but he went out for a night of bowling with friends.

"He only had a 99 degree fever," said his mother. "I figured they would give him antibiotics and they would let him go."

But the Influenza B virus attacked Mueller's body with ferocity.

On the night he entered the hospital, his oxygen level dropped so low he was transferred to intensive care.

By the following day, the virus had damaged his heart so severely, he needed a transplant.

But by then even the intense cardio-pulmonary support at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia could not save his life.

Mueller died Feb. 27, 2013, just two days after his 31st birthday.

His death was a blow for his parents, Sue and James Mueller of Schnecksville and an enormous loss for his daughter, Autumn Rose, then 4.

The Muellers have decided to use their son's story to prevent others from going through their experience.

Eight months after his death, David Mueller became the face of the Knights of Columbus' "Crusade Against Influenza" campaign – a new effort, which aims to educate the public about the real dangers of seasonal flu and encourage more people to get vaccinated.

Though their son did not get the flu shot that could have saved his life, the Muellers hope his story can help others understand how important it is to get vaccinated every year.

"We don't want anybody else to experience unnecessary illness or death because of lack of knowledge," Sue Mueller said.

Dr. Frank Krakowski, a retired internal medicine physician and chancellor of St. Theresa of the Child Jesus Council 14990 in Hellertown, encouraged the Muellers to join the campaign.

"The truth of the matter is that everybody is vulnerable to influenza and its complications," he said.

The effort, which targets the Allentown Diocese, some areas of the Poconos and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton areas, will educate the general public about seasonal flu, inform the community about the benefits of flu vaccinations and arm people with prevention tips and resources before the peak of flu season, Krakowski said.

If the campaign generates enough interest, the Knights of Columbus may decide to take the effort nationwide, he said.

The Knights of Columbus have also launched a website, flucrusade.com, which features flu prevention tips, and news and updates on where flu cases are occurring during the season, Krakowski said.

Following the 2013 campaign, the Knights will focus on educating the public in ways to curb the spread of the disease, he said.

The Knights and the Muellers are hoping the message will catch the attention of those who may not realize how serious influenza can be and serve as a motivator for people to get vaccinated.

"I used to consider the flu as the common cold," said James Mueller, a member of the Knights. "But people often don't realize every year, 70 million to 80 million people in the United States get sick with the flu, nearly 300,000 are hospitalized, and at least 30,000 die from influenza and various complications.

Typically, the elderly and young children are at the highest risk of becoming influenza victims, Krakowski said.

But that does not mean they are the only ones who will be hit by the virus, he said.

That is why the Centers for Disease Control recommend everyone older than 6 months get a flu shot each and every year, he said.

And, it is always better to get the shot early in the flu season, Krakowski said.

Though vaccine manufacturers are not always successful in estimating which flu strains will cause most infections the following year, they are getting better by closely monitoring the spread of the virus.

The Muellers are helping to spread that message.

On Oct. 27, 2013, they spent the day talking to people and handing out the campaign's informational brochures to fellow parishioners at St. Joseph the Worker Church in Orefield.

They told and retold their story, and stressed the importance of getting vaccinated.

"We are encouraging people to get the flu shots. That is not just for the elderly and the young," said Sue Mueller, who believes that was the best way to honor her son's memory. "Dave loved a lot and everybody loved him.

"If we save one life, then his death will not be in vain."

That message made a deep impression on Melissa Fugazzotto, a New Tripoli resident and a mother of three young children, who stopped to pick up brochures from the Muellers and talk to them about flu vaccinations.

Like many other young adults, Fugazzotto never used to get vaccinated against the flu until she had children.

Though she gets vaccinated now, Fugazzotto said she had not yet received her flu shot.

"This has given me the push to do it," she said.