Woman raises awareness about rare bacterium after son's death
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — After her son died in 2024 from septic shock from a rare bacterium, a mom is speaking out, hoping to raise awareness about potential dangers in rivers and lakes.
Alison Henderson, who currently lives in Alabama, said she believes the bacterium came from Douglas Lake after her three-year-old son Damon choked on water while swimming on vacation. He died in the hospital one week later.
In a letter to the family, Damon's doctor explained he died from septic shock, but they believe his illness was caused by Chromobacterium Violaceum, which is commonly found in soil and freshwater.
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'We had parked our boat and they were playing in the soil and kicking it up, and when Damon was on the soil he choked on it, it went down the wrong way, but he was fine, like we were all getting ready to run to him, and then he just started playing again after he got it up, but it did go down into his lungs, the muddy water did,' said Henderson.
The next day she said Damon was in the hospital. According to the Knox County Health Department, out of the 150 cases ever reported, there is a 50% mortality rate.
'So incredibly, incredibly rare,' said Knox County Health Officer, Megan Edwards. 'The organism does live around the world that it lives in subtropical and tropical areas from Tennessee to India. It's in the soil. It's in the dirt. Everybody's probably encountered it at some point if you live in those areas.'
While it rarely causes disease in humans, Edwards said once it is contracted health can deteriorate rapidly.
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'So this organism is actually related to several organisms that we already know about, things like Neisseria Meningitis and Neisseria Gonorrhea,' she said. 'These are conditions that people know and treat every day, Neisseria Meningitis, its cousin, can also cause the very severe rapid sepsis that can lead to death.'
When it comes to rare conditions, Edwards said underlying immune deficiencies can also play a role. While that information cannot be determined through an autopsy, Henderson said Damon was a healthy kid.
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'He just bounced off the walls. He was very, very energetic and had so much energy, and he was sweet,' she said. 'He was the sweetest thing and he was funny and he was my baby.'
Despite the rarity of his infection, she and her family are hoping other parents can learn from their experience.
'It is one death. You don't think it can happen to you, but it can,' said Henderson. 'It should be your choice if you let your kids get in it, and you need the option to know that it's there. Because if you know it's there maybe you don't want to let them get in. And if you know it's there and you do get in, then you knew.'
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The Knox County Health Department said the chances of contracting this bacterium is very low, and most people have strong immune systems that would combat this. Edwards added while someone's age could factor into a lower immune system, since this is such a rare bacterial infection, it is hard to identify who is the most at risk.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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