The tragic death of Jesse Brown: Boy, 11, dies from flesh-eating bacteria after injuring ankle
ORANGE COUNTY, FLORIDA: A seemingly unimportant ankle twist sustained by an 11-year-old boy while running on a treadmill resulted in a flesh-eating bacterial infection, which ultimately caused his death. A few days after hurting his ankle and probably scratching it while exercising a few weeks ago, Jesse Brown's leg was covered in "splotchy, purply, red, almost like bruises," according to his cousin Megan Brown.
Jesse was born after his parents battled for 10 years to conceive, and the family viewed him as a "miracle child," WESH reported. He participated in BMX and motocross contests, and according to Brown, he was an "old soul." “He was just such an old soul. Like, everybody was like, ‘He’s such a little adult, like, in this little, tiny body, you know?” Brown said.
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Who was Jesse Brown and what happened to him?
Jesse Brown, age 11, was in good health. He was in the fifth grade at Lakemont Elementary School in Orange County, rode motocross, and was constantly moving. According to Megan Brown, he injured his ankle a few weeks ago while using a treadmill. A shocking sight greeted his mother a few days later when she woke up. "His whole leg was covered in like splotchy, purply, red, almost like bruises," Brown said, per reported by Fox 35 News.
Brown claimed that it was a whirlwind after that. The ICU accepted Jesse as a patient. The family claims that after a few days, the group-A strep infection that was later recognized as having caused Jesse's swelling of the brain and eventual death changed into a flesh-eating bacteria. "They said that because he rolled his ankle, that that’s likely where the infection attacked it. Because it was already weak," Brown said. "For this to kill him in just a matter of days was crazy," Brown added.
What is group-A strep?
According to Dr Alan Cross, an infectious disease expert at the University of Maryland Medical Center, A-strep can result in a "very rapid infection," which makes it potentially toxic. He added that these infections can develop from little scrapes to larger wounds in both children and adults. “The bottom line here is that first properly clean the wound and then be able to watch it over time,” Cross said.
Invasive strep-a cases among children in the United States have increased recently, according to doctor Dr Candice Jones of Orlando. "Some of the speculations has been that some of those cases started after respiratory infections, and we had been seeing an uptick in those types of infections anyway post-pandemic," Dr Jones said. She added, "So there are several routes of entry in ways that these bacteria can cause mild to severe infection and even end in death."
The bacteria that causes strep throat also causes group-A strep. Although the majority of instances are not as serious, according to Dr Jones, it can very rarely result in a secondary infection like flesh-eating sickness. Swelling, redness, an unpleasant odor, and fever, according to her, are indicators to watch out for.
Although Jesse was wearing a boot to treat his ankle injury, his family was slow to recognize the emerging problem. “I just kept thinking of Bebe, his mom, because she’s my favorite, and my heart really broke for her,” Brown said.
Jesse's classmates from Winter Park gathered to remember him. The boy's elementary school began a fundraising effort in his honor. “While Jesse was a miracle to his parents and family, he was also a true blessing to his Lakemont family,” the Lakemont Elementary School wrote. “Jesse was kind and compassionate, looked out for others, adventurous, and truly an amazing friend and classmate.”