Florida child dies from flesh eating bacteria after twisting ankle

The family of an 11-year-old boy from Winter Park said he died after a twisted ankle and potential scratch eventually spiraled out of control. Jesse Brown got Strep-A, which then turned into flesh-eating bacteria eventually killing him.

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[denniscurry]

THIS is EXACTLY what happened with my son several years ago when he was 6. He tripped on a curb and sprained his ankle. We took him in 1 1/2 days later because he was complaining of pain and it was swelling. The Dr. said he would be fine and diagnosed his fever symptoms & sudden sores as chicken pox. By day 3 we were in Seattle Children’s Hospital in pediatric intensive care unit prepping for emergency surgery. They irrigated his ankle & gave him LOTS of antibiotics. We stayed there for 8 days before being discharged. He thankfully pulled through and is healthy today. We recently celebrated his 12th birthday. My heart breaks for this family. THIS NEEDS MORE AWARENESS!

[seviregis]

Wow, crazy, I’ve never heard of a closed injury leading to a deadly disease like this. Such an adorable little boy, cute kid, terrible loss for his family. RIP Jesse.

[donusmc]

I had this in 2001. It can sometimes gain entry with no clear wound, or can get into the skin through small scrapes or cuts. Antibiotics did nothing. The only treatment available was to cut it out so that’s what they did, 5 times before they got all of it. It’s a very scary thing and it sets in FAST. I was 19, fresh out of bootcamp in great shape and in less than 3 days I was almost dead. My heart breaks for him and his family.

[mrsmdub]

This sounds like Lemeeres Syndrome which the symptoms were exactly what my daughter had when she was 18 yrs old. Started in her throat and traveled to her hip. She was in the icu within 5 days, had to have emergency surgery to remove the bacteria fluid. Had to take strong antibiotics for weeks and had to learn to walk again. Thankfully, the doctors said if I would’ve waited just one more day she would have passed. I’m glad to report she’s completely healed and celebrated her 27th birthday recently. My heart goes out to this family, it definitely is a traumatic experience.

[andrewm]

The fragility of life sometimes is truly shocking. Such a simple incident with such a young and healthy boy, and just like that he's gone. We must appreciate every day we get.

[katrinacombs]

Poor momma .... i would die inside if my child passed away so young. She is so strong for coming forward to raise awareness in honor of her precious son. He was absolutely adorable!

[thenerdnetwork]

Same thing happened to my aunt. She was getting off a fork lift at work and twisted her ankle and things just absolutely went insane. She went to the doctor the next day and they gave her some pain meds. Then she got super sick and went to the hospital and they life flighted her to another hospital that had a unit that specialized in infectious viruses/diseases and they originally wanted to amputate her leg just below the knee. My mom is a RN so she somehow was able to talk them into trying to save her foot. They ended up saving her foot, but all the skin and muscles on the top of her foot were just like... gone? Not sure how to describe it. She spent several months in a nursing home and eventually was doing much better and they did a skin graft on her foot. She still has a large divot on the top of her foot but there is skin over it now. Still a crazy story that we talk about, this happened a few years ago. Her employer was trying to fight paying the medical bills, but they ended up paying them and settling with her just to eliminate any future claims from the incident. But it sure is terrifying that something like this can happen if you roll your ankle.

[ronleight]

Like many others reading this, I never heard of such a tragic outcome starting with a twisted ankle. RIP, little man.

[JenniferPearsonJP]

What an incredibly mature young woman. My heart goes out to the family for this unthinkable loss.

[caramelzzmmines]

This child was beautiful!! God protect this family's heart at all cost. 🥺

[flame-sky]

RIP Jesse, we are glad you enjoyed life to its fullest and had fun. We will never forget you kid.

[ronaldmorrison]

I was in a coma for 1.5 months due to necrotizing fasciitis and sepsis from a tooth abscess last year. They told my mother to "get my affairs together...it doesn't look good" 27 head and neck surgeries, left side of my face paralyzed, tongue paralyzed, loss of one vocal cord and horrible scarring and here I am. My prayers are with the family.

Alot of questions and comments about my dental care. I'm OCD so I do everything to the T. I was a Truck driver who specialized in Heavy Equipment. I had Excellent insurance that cost an arm and a leg. I'm fully disabled now because of this so now my whole life has changed. It was a total of 4 days from when I ate well done bacon till being in a coma. When I woke up I was on a ventilator and strapped to a bed with all these machines and noises. It took two weeks to learn to breath on my own. I couldn't talk or hold a pen to write what i wanted to say. I just wanted to know where i was at and what happened to me.It took three weeks to move under my own power. I didn't eat or drink by mouth for 7 months and they were not sure I'd ever be able to. I lost 51 pounds and my stomach collapsed around my diaphragm and intestines and had 7 surgeries from that. I would poop out of my mouth atleast twice a day for months. All that being said the worst was the Coma. I had 4 HORRIFIC dreams over and over. Dreams so personal to me I thought they were really happening. I have flashbacks and nightmares now and am on mental health meds and go to a psychologist and psychiatrist once a week. Surgeries are one thing...I'm a tough dude, I've been through some shit. The Coma though, that's something I wasn't prepared to go through. Just horrific dreams over and over with extreme pain that felt so I thought it was true. I thought I was in purgatory and had been passed up by THE MOST HIGH.

[leftfinned]

Precious kid. I’m so sorry for his family and friends loss. Rest in peace buddy.

[oop]

Oh my goodness. When she said play with his hair I lost it. How horrible to be so young and so ill -- and how horrible to be a parent and lose your child.

[janiscalaba]

I was hours from death before a surgeon took me into the operating room. I had Necrotizing fasciitis. Only by the grace of God am I here. You have my heartfelt sympathy. ✌️❤️

[kathleenmacdonald]

I am so sorry for the loss this family has to endure. It is clear he was a much-loved family member because of the time and attention his family gave him to pursue his passions. I cannot fathom the depth of pain young parents must suffer in the loss of a young, vibrant child. How do you get on the other side of the intense grief except with the love and support of their community.

[ChocoBabiChan]

Most of us have these infections in us, but our bodies fight them off so well that we don't even get sick. That is, until the virus finds a weakness. I had a friend who died from sepsis from a tiny cut on her big toe. It all happened in a matter of a couple of days. Our immune systems are so strong and adpative now, that if someone from 500 years in the past somehow found their way into the present day, they would die in a matter of a couple of hours. It's why breastfeeding is so essential for newborns. The colostrum passes on the antibodies needed to survive in this nasty ass world. It's amazing to me that someone can die from an infection that was already in them, being fought off, but only after an injury that didn't include an open wound.

[Rob.C]

You can tell he was full of life by his eyes.. heartbreaking. May this young man rest in peace 🙏🏽😔 prayers to the mother and family ❤️

[pltatman]

It's easy to dismiss a small cut because we get small cuts all our lives and rarely get infected. But you can't always tell how deep a cut goes just by looking at it, and it is easier for bacteria to get introduced if it happens outside. So for any cut that draws blood, please always clean the affected area promptly, keep it covered with a clean bandage and check it periodically.

[RealMexFoodShouldntGiveUDrrhea]

I hope more parents become aware of this so they can advocate for their children. This is beyond heartbreaking.