Florida boy Tanner Lakewall, 13 years old, dies of brain-eating amoeba

13-year-old Tanner Lakewall Amoeba eating the brain While on vacation with his family. Tanner’s mom is now speaking out in hopes of warning other parents about this rare but deadly amoeba that killed her son.

Alicia Whitehill, 39, Palatka, Florida, today she and her family, including Tanner’s stepfather and twin sisters, spent a vacation at the campsite on July 23-26, with Tanner on the lake on Friday and Saturday. He said he swam.

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The parasite probably climbed the boy’s nose while he was swimming.

By Tuesday, the boy had complained of more painful headaches as the week progressed. Two days later, Tanner began to develop other symptoms such as nausea and fever.

“On Thursday, I took Tanner to the Putnam Community Health Center in Palatka, Florida,” Whitehill said. “The ER doctor diagnosed streptococcal pharyngitis and recommended that Tanner be discharged.”

Whitehill said she disagreed with Tanner’s decision to leave the hospital and requested a transfer to another hospital because her condition appeared to be getting worse.

“This offended the ER doctor,” she said. “They told us to give us time to work on the drug. They refused the medical transport call and we demanded that Tanner be released and taken to another hospital. “

Tanner was hospitalized for observation and examination when he arrived at Shanes Hospital in Gainesville, about 50 miles west of Palatka. By Friday morning, doctors informed the family that he was suspected of having meningitis and ordered a spinal puncture to confirm their suspicion.

“Tanner tested positive for bacterial meningococcus and was transferred to the pediatric intensive care unit,” Whitehill said. “Tanner’s condition seemed to be stable until most of Friday until the evening when vital signs were lowered and sent for a CAT scan and sent to the ventilator. On Saturday, the scan caused excessive swelling in the brain. There was fluid buildup. Doctors advised that a drain tube should be inserted into the head to release the accumulated fluid for fear of brain damage. “

The drains seemed to work at first, but early Sunday morning, Tanner’s condition changed significantly. The doctor then saw that his brain had moved and that the fluid from his brain showed signs of parasites. The family is very with the amoeba he eats the brain Little chance of survival..

“Doctors met with us at 12:00 pm on Sunday, stating that Tanner was actually brain dead, and decided to remove the ventilator,” Whitehill said.

Tanner’s mother said her July trip was her first visit to the Ragans Family Campground in Madison, Florida, and she read an online review of that location. She knew of the brain-eating amoeba she said today, but didn’t know how they contracted.

“The water looked very clean, filtered and colored,” she said.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and PreventionNaegleria It is an amoeba (unicellular organism) often found in warm fresh water (lakes, rivers, hot springs, etc.) and soil. Only one species (type) of Naegleria infects people: Naegleria fowleri. People can become infected while swimming, and water containing parasites rises to the nose and destroys brain tissue.

The lake at the campsite is closed for swimming.

White Hill and his family mourn the death of a boy who said he loved hunting, fishing, sports, swimming and wildlife.

“Doctors said that if he wasn’t misdiagnosed and treated with the wrong drug, he could have identified the virus early and treated the right drug with less chance of survival sooner,” she said. Said.

Whitehill said her family is seeking a legal representative for a misdiagnosis. For now, she is trying to comfort the other children and remember her son.

“He was a very mature and responsible young man because of his age,” Whitehill said of Tanner. “He was loved by everyone and loved everyone he met.”

After learning Tanner’s story, Whitehill wants his parents to become more aware of the rare but deadly amoeba.

“Don’t think it’s safe because the water looks clean,” she said.

Tanner is a mother, stepfather George Whitehill, 50 years old, father Travis Wall, 40 years old, brother Tucker Wall, 18 years old, twin sisters Abigail and Cheyenne Wall 9.