Teen on life support after case of strep

DECATUR, IL (WAND) -- A 16-year-old in Illinois was put on life support after the bacteria from strep throat made its way into her bloodstream.

Alexis Patton, started to feel bad on Thursday, December 21, according to her mother, Jennifer Phillips. By Christmas night, she was intubated on life support.

Phillips said streptococcus, the bacteria behind strep throat, got into her daughter's bloodstream and settled in her legs.

Alexis is now awake and off life support at OSF Children's Hospital of Illinois in Peoria, but it's still going to be a long road to recovery.

"It's been really hard -- the traveling back and forth, the sleepless nights at the hospital over and over. It's been really rough," Phillips said. "She's going to have to have a lot of surgeries, a lot of skin grafts and she will have to learn how to walk again."

Phillips is now encouraging parents to be especially cautious with each and every fever.

"Don't wait to take your kids in," she said. "Even if they just have common cold/flu symptoms. Make sure they're getting checked."

[shirleynichols]

TELL THE FAMILY TO STAY AND TALK TO HER EVERYDAY. SHE NEEDS TO HEAR YOUR VOICE. THE VIBRATIONS FROM TALKING ALLOWS HER EARS TO HEAR AND HER BRAIN FUNCTION. POSSIBLY WHILE SHE IN THAT STATE SHE CAN REMEMBER WHO SHE IS. TALK TO HER