Florida Boy, 11, Dies From Flesh-Eating Infection After Suffering A Treadmill Injury
Feb. 17 2023, Published 7:05 p.m. ET
Tragedy struck a Florida family after their 11-year-old son died from a flesh-eating inflection that he contracted after suffering a treadmill injury, RadarOnline.com has learned.
Jesse Brown, 11, from Winter Park, Florida, suffered an ankle sprain from a treadmill accident. Days later, Jesse died after being hospitalized for Group A Streptococcus.
The devastating loss of life occurred in just a matter of days.
According to People, Jesse's cousin, Megan Brown, told local news that he had injured his ankle while using a treadmill.
Megan shared that a few days after he suffered the injury, Jesse's mother noticed "his whole leg was covered in like splotchy, purply, red, almost like bruises."
Concerned with the markings on her son's leg, Jesse was rushed to a local hospital where he was admitted to the ICU.
Doctors diagnosed Jesse with a Group A strep infection. The Group A status refers to diseases that can occur after tissue is infected with Streptococcus and spreads to other tissues. Strep throat, scarlet fever and rheumatic fever can lead to a Strep A diagnosis — and can be fatal if left untreated.
"For this to kill him in just a matter of days was crazy," Megan said of her cousin's hospitalization. "If there was more awareness, maybe we could have caught it earlier when we noticed he had a fever."
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On top of the pain the family suffered from his sudden death, Megan shared that the family considered Jesse a "miracle."
"His parents were told they would never have children," the cousin revealed. "They had given up hope, and after 10 years of trying, they were blessed with Jesse Ryder Brown."
"That miracle was taken from us far too soon," Megan added.
The cousin reflected on what "a completely happy and healthy boy" Jesse was.
Every year around 14,000 to 25,000 cases of Strep A infections are confirmed in patients.
When not treated immediately, rogue infections have the potential to cause severe injury or in Jesse's case, death.
According to the CDC, between 1,500 and 2,300 people succumb to the fatal infection each year.