Parents want more warnings after a brain-eating amoeba killed their boy on a South Carolina lake
His parents had no clue the brain-eating amoeba, whose scientific name is Naegleria fowleri, even existed in Lake Murray, just 15 miles (24 kilometers) west of Columbia.
They found out when a doctor, in tears, told them the diagnosis after what seemed like a fairly regular headache and nausea took a serious turn.
Jaysen, 12, fought for a week before dying on July 18, making him one of about 160 people known to have died from the amoeba in the U.S. in the past 60 years.
As they grieve their son, the boy's parents said they were stunned to learn South Carolina, like most other U.S. states, has no law requiring public reporting of deaths or infections from the amoeba. The lake wasn't closed and no water testing was performed. If they hadn't spoken up, they wonder if anyone would have even known what happened.
'I can't believe we don't have our son. The result of him being a child was losing his life. That does not sit well. And I am terrified it will happen to someone else," Clarence Carr told The Associated Press as his wife sat beside him, hugging a stuffed tiger that had a recording of their middle child's heartbeat.
The best Fourth of July ever
Jaysen loved sports. He played football and baseball. He loved people, too. As soon as he met you, he was your friend, his father said. He was smart enough to have skipped a grade in school and to play several instruments in his middle school band in Columbia.
'He either loved you or he just didn't know you,' his father said. 'He was the type of person who could go to a jump park and five minutes later say, 'This is my friend James.''
Friends invited Jaysen and his family for the Fourth of July holiday weekend on the lake, where Jaysen spent hours swimming, fishing and riding on an inner tube that was being pulled by a boat.
'Mom and Dad, that was the best Fourth of July I've ever had,' Clarence Carr remembered his son telling him.
A headache suddenly gets worse
A few days later, Jaysen's head started to hurt. Pain relievers helped. But the next day the headache got worse and he started throwing up. He told the emergency room doctors exactly where he was hurting. But soon he started to get disoriented and lethargic.
The amoeba was in his brain, already causing an infection and destroying brain tissue. It entered through his nose as water was forced deep into his nasal passages, possibly from one of the times Jaysen jumped into the water. It then traveled along his olfactory nerve into his brain.
The amoeba caused an infection called primary amebic meningoencephalitis. Fewer than 10 people a year get it in the U.S., and over 95% of them die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The amoeba is fairly common. Researchers are still trying to figure out why the infections are so rare. Some people have been found to have had antibodies, signalling they may have survived exposure. Others may die from brain swelling and other problems without the amoeba ever being detected.
The amoeba is found in warm water and the infection is almost always fatal
The amoeba becomes dangerous in very warm water and for years has been seen almost exclusively in the summer in the southern part of the country. But a few recent cases have popped up in Maryland, Indiana and Minnesota, scientists said.
The CDC said 167 cases of the infection have been reported in the U.S. between 1962 and 2024, and only four people have survived.
Boys seem most susceptible, but researchers don't know if that is simply because they are more likely to jump and dive into the water or play in sediment at the bottom of lakes.
The amoeba can show up in hot springs, rivers and, on rare occasions, in tap water. That's why doctors recommend using sterile water for cleaning nasal passages with a neti pot.
The only way to be completely safe is to not swim in lakes or rivers and, if you do, keep your head above water. Pinching your nose or using nose clips when diving or swimming can keep water out of your nose.
Parents want others to know the danger from the brain-eating amoeba
As he sat in an intensive care hospital room with his son, Clarence Carr couldn't help but think of all the people on the lake.
He wondered if any of them had any clue about the microscopic danger in that water.
'There are entire families out there on pontoon boats, jumping off, just like our kids were having the time of their lives,' he said. 'It very well could be their last moments, and they are unaware of it.'
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Daily Mirror
3 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Dad of boy, 12, who died from infection after swimming calls for more warnings
Jaysen Carr, 12, died nearly two weeks after he spent the Fourth of July swimming and riding on a boat in Lake Murray, west of Columbia, South Carolina - now his heartbroken dad has spoken out The heartbroken parents of a 12-year-old boy who tragically died from a rare brain-eating amoeba after swimming at a lake have urged officials to issue more warnings about the lethal infection. Jaysen Carr lost his life nearly two weeks after he spent the Fourth of July swimming and boating in Lake Murray, situated west of Columbia. Upon returning from their day out at the lake, his parents revealed that the boy began complaining of a headache and feeling sick. He was rushed to hospital but sadly passed away on July 18. His devastated dad, Clarence Carr, has demanded increased awareness about the infection after discovering that South Carolina lacks any legislation mandating public reporting of deaths or infections caused by the amoeba. It comes after a man claimed 'I lost 10st in a year without jabs, surgery or going to the gym'. "I can't believe we don't have our son. The result of him being a child was losing his life. That does not sit well. And I am terrified it will happen to someone else," Carr told The Associated Press, reports the Mirror US. The deadly amoeba had reportedly infiltrated Carr's brain through his nose during his swim in the lake, leading to an infection known as primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM). Also referred to as Naegleria fowleri, this single-celled organism thrives in warm freshwater lakes, rivers, and hot springs, according to the CDC. It has the potential to infect the brain and obliterate brain tissue. While brain infections caused by the amoeba are extremely rare, they are almost always fatal, warn health authorities Between 1962 and 2024, there were 167 reported cases of PAM in the US, with only four survivors. In a fundraiser, his loved ones said: "His kind heart and bright spirit left a lasting impact on everyone he met. Jaysen bravely faced a tough medical battle, and while his strength inspired so many, the journey has left the Carr family with numerous unexpected expenses. As they navigate this heartbreaking loss, we want to come together to help ease their burden." South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH) addressed the tragedy and said he was likely exposed to the bacteria at Lake Murray, reports Mail Online. It has been reported that 164 people in the US contracted the infection between 1962 and 2023. Official records state that only four survived. Symptoms Headache Vomiting Cognitive issues Muscle ache such as a stiff neck Severe swelling
Sky News
20 hours ago
- Sky News
Parents of boy who died from 'brain-eating amoeba' say they are 'terrified it will happen to someone else'
The parents of a 12-year-old boy who died from due to a "brain-eating amoeba" say they are "terrified it will happen to someone else". Jaysen Carr died two weeks after swimming in one of South Carolina's most popular lakes, when the single-celled organism naegleria fowleri entered his body through his nose. His parents say they had no idea the organism - also known as the brain-eating amoeba - existed in Lake Murray, around 15 miles (24km) west of Columbia. "I can't believe we don't have our son. The result of him being a child was losing his life. That does not sit well. And I am terrified it will happen to someone else," Clarence Carr told The Associated Press (AP). "My son lost his life swimming. We assumed it was safe," he added. Friends invited Jaysen and his family to the lake on the 4 July holiday weekend, where he spent hours swimming, fishing and riding on an inner tube that was being pulled by a boat. A few days later, Jaysen's suffered headaches which got worse and then became nauseous, disoriented and lethargic. The amoeba was in his brain, already causing an infection and destroying brain tissue. It entered his nose, as he played in the water, and travelled along his olfactory nerve into his brain. The amoeba caused an infection called primary amebic meningoencephalitis. Fewer than 10 people a year get it in the US, and more than 95% of them die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A two-year-old boy died from the same infection in Nevada, after visiting a natural hot spring in July 2023, while in the same month, a swimmer from Georgia also died. Among other incidents, one in March 2023 involved a man from Florida who died after rinsing his nose with tap water, and in August 2022, a child died after swimming in the Elkhorn River in eastern Nebraska. The amoeba is found in warm water. It cannot move from one person to another. A GoFundMe page has raised $53,310 (£39,924) to help Jaysen's family pay for unexpected expenses. What is the 'brain-eating amoeba'? Naegleria fowleri is a single-celled organism which thrives in warm water (over 25C), including lakes and rivers in countries with hot, sometimes dry summers, like the US, Pakistan, and Australia. The amoeba enters the brain through the olfactory nerve in the nose. Once inside, it causes an infection called primary amebic meningoencephalitis. Symptoms start as a headache and nausea, and by the time the pain becomes severe, it is almost always too late to save the infected person. Most deaths happen within five days of getting sick, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Of the 167 cases reported in the US between 1962 and 2024, only four people have survived. Boys seem more susceptible, perhaps because they are more likely to jump and dive into the water. The only way to be completely safe is to not swim in lakes or rivers and, if you do, keep your head above water. The amoeba is fairly common but researchers are still trying to understand why some people appear more susceptible to the deadly infection than others. Mr Carr has questioned whether anyone on the lake had any clue about the danger in that water. "There are entire families out there on pontoon boats, jumping off, just like our kids were having the time of their lives," he said.
The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
Parents want more warnings after a brain-eating amoeba killed their boy on a South Carolina lake
Two weeks after Jaysen Carr spent the Fourth of July swimming and riding on a boat on one of South Carolina 's most popular lakes, he was dead from an amoeba that lives in the warm water and entered his brain through his nose. His parents had no clue the brain-eating amoeba, whose scientific name is Naegleria fowleri, even existed in Lake Murray, just 15 miles (24 kilometers) west of Columbia. They found out when a doctor, in tears, told them the diagnosis after what seemed like a fairly regular headache and nausea took a serious turn. Jaysen, 12, fought for a week before dying on July 18, making him one of about 160 people known to have died from the amoeba in the U.S. in the past 60 years. As they grieve their son, the boy's parents said they were stunned to learn South Carolina, like most other U.S. states, has no law requiring public reporting of deaths or infections from the amoeba. The lake wasn't closed and no water testing was performed. If they hadn't spoken up, they wonder if anyone would have even known what happened. 'I can't believe we don't have our son. The result of him being a child was losing his life. That does not sit well. And I am terrified it will happen to someone else," Clarence Carr told The Associated Press as his wife sat beside him, hugging a stuffed tiger that had a recording of their middle child's heartbeat. The best Fourth of July ever Jaysen loved sports. He played football and baseball. He loved people, too. As soon as he met you, he was your friend, his father said. He was smart enough to have skipped a grade in school and to play several instruments in his middle school band in Columbia. 'He either loved you or he just didn't know you,' his father said. 'He was the type of person who could go to a jump park and five minutes later say, 'This is my friend James.'' Friends invited Jaysen and his family for the Fourth of July holiday weekend on the lake, where Jaysen spent hours swimming, fishing and riding on an inner tube that was being pulled by a boat. 'Mom and Dad, that was the best Fourth of July I've ever had,' Clarence Carr remembered his son telling him. A headache suddenly gets worse A few days later, Jaysen's head started to hurt. Pain relievers helped. But the next day the headache got worse and he started throwing up. He told the emergency room doctors exactly where he was hurting. But soon he started to get disoriented and lethargic. The amoeba was in his brain, already causing an infection and destroying brain tissue. It entered through his nose as water was forced deep into his nasal passages, possibly from one of the times Jaysen jumped into the water. It then traveled along his olfactory nerve into his brain. The amoeba caused an infection called primary amebic meningoencephalitis. Fewer than 10 people a year get it in the U.S., and over 95% of them die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The amoeba is fairly common. Researchers are still trying to figure out why the infections are so rare. Some people have been found to have had antibodies, signalling they may have survived exposure. Others may die from brain swelling and other problems without the amoeba ever being detected. The amoeba is found in warm water and the infection is almost always fatal The amoeba becomes dangerous in very warm water and for years has been seen almost exclusively in the summer in the southern part of the country. But a few recent cases have popped up in Maryland, Indiana and Minnesota, scientists said. The CDC said 167 cases of the infection have been reported in the U.S. between 1962 and 2024, and only four people have survived. Boys seem most susceptible, but researchers don't know if that is simply because they are more likely to jump and dive into the water or play in sediment at the bottom of lakes. The amoeba can show up in hot springs, rivers and, on rare occasions, in tap water. That's why doctors recommend using sterile water for cleaning nasal passages with a neti pot. The only way to be completely safe is to not swim in lakes or rivers and, if you do, keep your head above water. Pinching your nose or using nose clips when diving or swimming can keep water out of your nose. Parents want others to know the danger from the brain-eating amoeba As he sat in an intensive care hospital room with his son, Clarence Carr couldn't help but think of all the people on the lake. He wondered if any of them had any clue about the microscopic danger in that water. 'There are entire families out there on pontoon boats, jumping off, just like our kids were having the time of their lives,' he said. 'It very well could be their last moments, and they are unaware of it.'
