14-Year-Old Boy Dies from Rare Bacterial Infection Just Days After Showing Signs of Symptoms: ‘Brought Joy Everywhere'
A 14-year-old boy in South Carolina died within days of becoming ill with a rare bacterial infection
William 'Will' Hand died on June 8 from meningococcal septicemia after the infection got into his bloodstream
A doctor said the illness spreads through saliva and respiratory secretions and through sharing everyday items like beveragesA 14-year-old boy in South Carolina died of a rare infection within days of showing symptoms.
William 'Will' Hand of Greenville died on Sunday, June 8, according to his online obituary and local news outlet Fox Carolina. His mother, Megan, told the outlet that Will had meningococcal septicemia, also known as meningococcemia, and that the infection got into his bloodstream.
Dr. Anna-Kathryn Burch, an infectious disease specialist at Prisma Health Children's Hospital, where Will was treated, told Fox Carolina that infections of this nature happen 'so quickly,' adding, 'sometimes it is very hard to save the person who is infected with the bacteria.'
Dr. Burch told the outlet that the illness spreads through saliva and respiratory secretions and through sharing everyday items like beverages.
Symptoms include high fever, severe headache, sensitivity to light, nausea and vomiting, per the Cleveland Clinic. It can also cause a rash that does not fade when pressed.
'We call it a petechial rash because it looks like broken blood vessels underneath the skin,' Dr. Burch said of the rash while speaking to Fox Carolina. 'It's not a typical rash that you would get with, let's say, a viral infection. If you put your finger on it and press down really hard, the rash will stay there."
The Centers for Disease Control states that meningococcal disease is 'uncommon,' though they note that early intervention with antibiotics is critical for treatment. Vaccines are the 'best protection' against the infection, per the CDC.
Will is described by loved ones as having 'a joyful spirit, quick smile and magnetic energy,' per his online obituary.
"His loss leaves a void that can never be filled," they added.
'Will was a highlight of many people's day — equal parts athlete, comedian, music lover, and loyal friend,' the obituary states, adding, "His teammates, coaches, and friends knew him as the life of party.'
The teen was also known for 'turning everyday moments into unforgettable memories. Whether it was walking to CVS ... with his friends, or re-enacting WWE wrestling, he brought joy everywhere he went,' the obituary continued.
Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
Will had just completed 8th grade at Hughes Academy in Greenville. He is survived by his parents, William and Megan, as well as two sisters and a brother, per the obituary.
A celebration of Will's life was held at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Greenville on Friday, June 13.
In lieu of flowers, Will's parents asked that donations be sent to Prisma Health Children's Hospital, 'where the critical care team fought tenaciously to keep our son alive.'
Read the original article on People
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Bloomberg
25 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
UnitedHealth Cuts Commissions on Some Medicare Advantage Plans
UnitedHealth Group Inc. is cutting commissions for brokers on some Medicare Advantage plans, according to documents reviewed by Bloomberg News, a move that appears designed to discourage agents from selling those plans. The decision comes as UnitedHealth grapples with high costs in Medicare Advantage that derailed its financial outlook and sent its share price tumbling. By steering brokers away from selling some of these plans, the insurance giant could ultimately lower its costs.
Associated Press
33 minutes ago
- Associated Press
‘Gas station heroin' is technically illegal and widely available. Here are the facts
WASHINGTON (AP) — Health officials want you to think twice before buying one of those brightly colored little bottles often sold at gas stations, convenience stores and smoke shops. Sometimes called 'gas station heroin,' the products are usually marketed as energy shots or cognitive supplements but actually contain tianeptine, an unapproved drug that can be addictive and carries risks of serious side effects. U.S. poison control centers have reported a steady rise in calls linked to the drug for more than a decade. And last month the Food and Drug Administration sent a warning to health professionals about 'the magnitude of the underlying danger or these products.' Here's what to know about gas station heroin. How are these products sold in the U.S.? Tianeptine is approved in a number foreign countries as an antidepressant, usually as a low-dose pill taken three times a day. But it has never been approved by the FDA for any medical condition in the U.S. Additionally, the drug cannot legally be added to foods and beverages or sold as a dietary supplement — something the FDA has repeatedly warned U.S. companies about. Still, under-the-radar firms sell tianeptine in various formulas, often with brand names like Zaza, Tianaa, Pegasus and TD Red. Although that is technically illegal, the FDA does not preapprove ingredients added to supplements and beverages. 'It's kind of this grey area of consumer products, or supplements, where the contents are not regulated or tested the way they would be with a medication,' said Dr. Diane Calello of the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System. Last year, Calello and her colleagues published a study documenting a cluster of emergency calls in New Jersey tied to a flavored elixir called Neptune's Fix. People experienced distress, rapid heartbeat, low blood pressure and seizures after drinking it. More than a dozen of the 20 patients had to be admitted for intensive care. Why use these products? Many tianeptine products claim— without evidence or FDA approval— to help users treat medical conditions, including addiction, pain and depression. In 2018, the FDA issued a warning letter to the maker of a product called Tianna, which claimed to provide 'an unparalleled solution to cravings for opiates.' While tianeptine is not an opioid, the drug binds to some of the same receptors in the brain, which can temporarily produce effects akin to oxycodone and other opioids. Tianeptine also carries some of the same physiological risks of opioids, including the potential to dangerously depress breathing. 'That's what tends to get people into trouble,' said Dr. Hannah Hays of Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. 'They use it for opioid-like effects or to self-treat opioid withdrawal and that can lead to slow breathing and problems like that.' People dealing with opioid addiction, pain, depression, anxiety and other conditions should see a health professional to get a prescription for FDA-approved treatments, Hays said. Is tianeptine use going up? Experts aren't sure but national figures show a big rise in emergency calls involving the drug. Calls to poison control centers increased 525% between 2018 and 2023, according to a data analysis published earlier this year. In about 40% of cases, the person had to seek medical care, with more than half of them needing critical care. One explanation for the rise in calls is simply that more Americans are using the products. But experts also say that the products are triggering more emergencies as they become more potent and dangerous. And the researchers in New Jersey who analyzed Neptune's Fix found that the liquid also contained synthetic cannabis and other drugs. 'You never quite know what's in that bottle,' Calello said. 'It's important for people to know that even if they have used a product before, they could get a bottle that contains something very different from what they're looking for.' Are there policies that could reduce tianeptine use? Tianeptine is not included in the federal Controlled Substances Act, which bans or restricts drugs that have no medical use or have a high potential for abuse, such as heroin, LSD and PCP. But about a dozen states have passed laws prohibiting or restricting tianeptine, including Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Tennessee. In some cases, those laws have led to more cases of withdrawal among users of tianeptine, which can be chemically addictive. But state data also shows some success in reducing harm tied to the drug. Until recently, Alabama had the highest rate of tianeptine-related calls in the southern U.S., which increased more than 1,400% between 2018 to 2021. But after the state restricted tianeptine in 2021 calls began modestly decreasing while calls across other southern states continued to climb. ___
Associated Press
40 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Second patient death reported with gene therapy for muscular dystrophy
WASHINGTON (AP) — Shares of Sarepta Therapeutics plunged Monday after the biotech drugmaker reported a second death in connection with its gene therapy for muscular dystrophy. Sarepta reported the death over the weekend and provided additional details about its response, which includes pausing shipments of the therapy, Elevidys, for older patients who are no longer able to walk. The one-time treatment is approved for children with a genetic variant of Duchenne's muscular dystrophy, which causes weakness, loss of mobility and early death in males. Elevidys is the first gene therapy approved in the U.S. for the rare muscle-wasting condition, but it has faced scrutiny since its accelerated approval in 2023. The second death, like an earlier one reported in March, occurred in a teenage boy who suffered a fatal case of acute liver injury, a known side effect of the therapy. Older patients receive a larger dose of the therapy. Sarepta said it would pause a study in those patients and assemble an expert panel to recommend new safety protocols for taking the drug. Those changes are expected to include increased use of immune-system suppressing drugs, company executives said Monday. The liver injury associated with the therapy is thought to be connected to the immune system's response. Sarepta said it was cooperating with the Food and Drug Administration, which would have to sign off on any changes to the product's use. Elevidys received expedited approval despite concerns from some FDA scientists about its effectiveness in treating Duchenne's. The FDA granted full approval last year and expanded the therapy's use to patients 4 years and older, regardless of whether they are still able to walk. Previously it was only available for younger patients who were still walking. Shares of the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company fell more than 42% to close at about $21 in trading. Wall Street analysts speculated that FDA officials, including new vaccine chief Dr. Vinay Prasad, might impose more restrictions on the drug or even block its use. Prasad has been highly critical of the therapy since its approval under the agency's previous leadership. 'Now with two deaths reported in this segment of the market, it seems incrementally more possible that the FDA could step in and remove the therapy from the market in non-ambulatory patients,' said Leerink Partners analyst Joseph Schwartz, in a Sunday research note. Elevidys uses a disabled virus to insert a replacement gene for producing dystrophin into patient cells. It costs $3.2 million for a one-time infusion. ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
