A fifth-grader in Florida who hurt his ankle on the treadmill is now dead, and his family is trying to raise awareness on the abrupt way in which he died. Megan Brown tells FOX 35 that her younger cousin, 11-year-old Jesse Brown of Winter Park, rolled on his ankle while using the treadmill a few weeks ago, suffering a possible scratch as well. It was the sort of injury that most healthy kids his age would easily bounce back from, but Brown says that a few days later, Jesse's mom noticed something alarming: her son's leg "covered in like splotchy, purply, red, almost like bruises."
Jesse's family took him to the hospital, where it was determined he'd been infected with strep A bacteria, the same bacteria that causes strep throat. In Jesse's case, however, the strep had worsened, turning into a flesh-eating bacteria that caused necrotizing fasciitis, made his brain swell, and shortly thereafter killed him. Brown says that doctors told the family that the infection had taken hold around the vulnerable area near his ankle. "For this to kill him in just a matter of days was crazy," she says. Jesse's family notes that, because he was wearing a special boot to help his ankle injury heal, they didn't know how bad the infection was until it was too late, reports WESH.
They now want others to be on the alert for such an infection, even if it is still considered rare. "It's a horrible case, but it is going to increase our awareness," says Dr. Todd Husty, the medical director for Seminole County, noting that cases of strep A among kids have been on the rise nationwide.The CDC notes that early symptoms for necrotizing fasciitis include a red or swollen patch of skin that spreads quickly and may be warm to the touch, fever, and severe pain. As the infection worsens, later symptoms may include ulcers and blisters, nausea, dizziness, and black spots on the skin.
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People reports that Brown has set up a GoFundMe for Jesse's memorial services and medical bills, a fundraising effort that had brought in more than $30,000 as of Friday morning. Brown explains that Jesse was a "miracle" baby for his parents, who'd tried for 10 years to have children before he was born. "Jesse was a completely happy and healthy boy, destined for great things," Brown writes, noting her younger cousin's love of BMX bikes and martial arts. "Everyone who met Jesse loved him. He was hilarious, his laugh was contagious, and he just lit up the room." (More flesh-eating bacteria stories.)
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