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Tragedy started with an ear infection: Fast-moving meningitis claims life of Maine first-grader
http://bangordailynews.com/2014/02/...ection-maine-first-grader-dies-of-meningitis/BERWICK, Maine — Last Tuesday, 6-year-old Evalise “Evie” McLean had a low-grade fever and an ear infection, but was looking forward to her first cheerleading competition of the year on Sunday.
Last Wednesday morning, she woke up briefly to again tell her parents how excited she was for her competition before falling back to sleep. It was a snow day for many area schools as the previous night’s storm had already dumped several inches of powder and it was still coming down.
Later that morning, Evie’s father, Lenroy McLean, found her unresponsive and having seizures. He immediately called 911.
A medi-flight would have rushed Evie to the Boston Children’s Hospital intensive care unit, but couldn’t fly due to the storm. Instead, a special ambulance with a team of doctors was used to transport the first-grader to Boston.
Although Evie had a low grade fever since Monday, no one could have expected the witty, thoughtful and energetic young girl would never get to put on her puffy snowsuit or her favorite hot pink cowgirl boots ever again.
Evie remained unresponsive, but was left on life support until doctors officially determined she was dead on Sunday. The cause had been the H-flu strand of bacterial meningitis.
Evie’s maternal aunt Brooke Chea said, “It came on suddenly; it was a matter of hours. She had shown some signs, but no one really knew what it was and it was especially fast-moving … And she never looked sick while she was in the hospital. She just looked like she was sleeping.”
Chea said Evie had received the vaccination against bacterial meningitis her whole life, but for some reason it just didn’t take.
“She had an ear infection and she just couldn’t fight it off,” Chea said of the bacteria which led to an infection that spread to Evie’s brain. “Her parents feel like they did something wrong, but if she would’ve gone to the doctor, she would’ve just been diagnosed with an ear infection and sent home with medication because it’s so rare that doctors aren’t accustomed to it.”
Chea said her sister, Patrice McLean, wouldn’t leave her daughter’s side while she was in the ICU.
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Before the family left the hospital on Sunday, they were able to give five others five very special gifts.
Although Evie’s life came to an early end, recipients were found for the donation of her lungs, both of her kidneys, her pancreas and her heart.
“Her heart is still beating in someone else,” Chea said, with tears in her eyes.
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