Brain Eating Amoeba Results in the Death of 14-Year-Old Athlete

Revelation 6:7,8 NCV When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!"8 I looked, and there before me was a pale horse. Its rider was named death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill people by war, by starvation, by disease, and by the wild animals of the earth.

The deadly brain eating amoeba has taken another life.

The family of 14-year-old Michael Riley, Jr. confirmed their son died from naegleria fowleri, or the “brain eating amoeba”, at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston.

“It is with a heavy heart, that we let everyone know that Michael John Riley Jr. lost his battle on this earth but won a victory for his place in the arms of our Lord Jesus Christ,” the family said in a statement on their Facebook page.  “Michael fought a courageous fight over the past week, allowing him to move on to be with the Lord for future heavenly tasks, a beautiful set of wings, and a pair of gold running shoes.”

The death is the fourth this month from someone contracting the deadly amoeba.

Riley was also the second child to die at Texas Children’s Hospital from naegleria fowleri this month.

Riley’s family said their son fell ill after a trip with his track team to swim at San Houston State Park.   Doctors couldn’t figure out why the young athlete was suffering from headaches that continued to worsen until they were unbearable until one doctor at Texas Children’s recognized the symptoms from the previous victim.

“It is unknown why certain persons become infected with (Naegleria fowleri) while millions of others exposed to warm recreational fresh waters do not, including those who were swimming with people who became infected,” the Centers for Disease Control said.

Only 3 of the 133 Americans known to be infected with the amoeba since 1962 have survived their infection.

Leave a Reply