An 8-year-old girl has died after contracting a brain-eating amoeba likely contracted while swimming at a lake in Louisiana. Lillian Smart was infected with Naegleria fowleri, an amoeba that thrives in bodies of warm, fresh water. Her family confirmed her death on the Love for Lillian Facebook page, where they have been sharing updates about her battle with the illness. We are heartbroken and honestly do not know what to do next.
How do we put one foot in front of the other without our girl?” Without naming Lillian, the Louisiana Department of Health confirmed a case of infection with Naegleria fowleri on August 19, adding that it had most likely been contracted at Lake Claiborne. According to the LDH, Naegleria fowleri can cause primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), which can occur when water enters the nose and the amoeba travels to the brain. The LDH warns that Naegleria fowleri can cause victims to suffer severe headaches, fever and vomiting that progresses to a stiff neck, seizures and a coma. Although rare, PAM is nearly always fatal. In a post on Facebook uploaded earlier in August, Lillian’s mother said that the little girl had been admitted to hospital after suffering a fever before experiencing double vision. Lillian died just a day after her birthday, according to the Love for Lillian page, with doctors telling her family that the swelling caused by the infection was “significant.” Members of the community in Ruston, where the 8-year-old was from, held a Love for Lillian fundraiser on Friday to mark her eighth birthday. “She’s just always a happy child,” Patricia Willis, a local business owner, told KNOE.
The agency warns that swimmers should keep their heads out of the water and plug their noses while swimming. Swimmers have also been urged to not dig up or disturb sediment while taking part in water-based activities. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
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