2-year-old in coma after E. coli infection from Oklahoma lake. ‘Blows our minds'
'It's a nightmare, and it happened so fast — within like a week, we're here,' said Suzanne Faircloth, the mother of Elisabeth Faircloth, who became ill after swimming in Keystone Lake in early June, KOTV reported.
According to a GoFundMe, Elisabeth is battling kidney failure and is 'fighting every day to stay with us.' Elisabeth's sister, Grayson Faircloth, said the virus has been attacking other organs as well, including her liver.
Melissa Lynne, Elisabeth's aunt, said in a Facebook post her niece was diagnosed with Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome and is fighting three different strains of E. coli.
'She is currently on dialysis and has been medically paralyzed in order to give her little body the best chance at conquering this thing,' Lynne said. 'Although the prognosis is hopeful, it will be a very long battle to get her well again and it's uncertain if she will ever recover 100% or if there will be permanent kidney and/or brain damage.'
The Mayo Clinic says Hemolytic-Uremic Syndrome, also called HUS, can cause blood clots throughout the body 'when small blood vessels become damaged and inflamed.' Young children are most susceptible to HUS, and certain E. coli strains are often the cause.
In a June 17 update, Kelly Faircloth said Elisabeth was now awake, but the infection had begun attacking her lungs.
'It blows our minds, because we've never even heard of anything like this ever happening,' Elisabeth's mother told KOTV. 'We've heard of E. coli — but usually in hamburgers.'
Multiple waterways in Oklahoma were reported to have elevated levels of E. coli when water samples were collected May 23, according to the Grand River Dam Authority.
Those waterways did not include Keystone Lake, located about a 25-mile drive northwest from Tulsa, but the River Parks Authority announced June 10 that Zink Lake would be closed 'due to unsafe water conditions from high Keystone Dam releases.'
Children under 5 are among the groups of people most likely to be infected with E. coli, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most E. coli bacteria are harmless, the CDC says, but others cause sickness and the risk of HUS.
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