A deaf girl aged 7 dies by cochlear implant.

[Kalista]

Girl Dies Of Bacterial Meningitis - News Archive

OMAHA, Neb. -- An Omaha girl died of bacterial meningitis over the weekend after deteriorating very quickly.

Katie Engle, 7, was a second-grader at Washington Elementary School. Her mother, Roxanne, said her daughter came home school on Friday not feeling well. She was dead the next day.

"She was happy one day and I took her to school and it went down hill from there," Engle said.

The first symptom -- a headache -- showed up a few days earlier. Katie was admitted to a hospital on Friday. Engle said her daughter didn't have the other symptoms associated with bacterial meningitis, which include vomiting, fever and lethargy, until she got to the hospital.

Doctors at Children's Hospital hydrated Katie, Engle said, and then she started to feel better.

"She takes her pulse thing off and says, 'I'm all better now. I want to go home,'" Engle said.

But the meningitis had caused Katie's brain to swell, and that ultimately killed her, Engle said.

Doctors said bacterial meningitis is not contagious. They believe it may have been caused by Katie's cochlear implant. They said it could have been prevented with a vaccination.

"I had tried and they were always out," Engle said. "After going back several times, I forgot about it."

The family donated Katie's organs.

Engle said Katie has seven siblings. The family has set up a memorial fund to cover funeral expenses at Security National Bank branches around town.

 

[deafskeptic]

Did her parents make sure she had those shots to prevent getting infected with that disease?

 

[shel90]

Did her parents make sure she had those shots to prevent getting infected with that disease?

Doctors said bacterial meningitis is not contagious. They believe it may have been caused by Katie's cochlear implant. They said it could have been prevented with a vaccination.

"I had tried and they were always out," Engle said. "After going back several times, I forgot about it."

Iam sure the parents now regret forgetting about it big time. *sighs*

Kalista...I thought u left AD?

 

[Canuckian_Chick]

Doctors said bacterial meningitis is not contagious. They believe it may have been caused by Katie's cochlear implant. They said it could have been prevented with a vaccination.

"I had tried and they were always out," Engle said. "After going back several times, I forgot about it."

Iam sure the parents now regret forgetting about it big time. *sighs*

Kalista...I thought u left AD?

But the thing I don't get it is how did the child get into school without being vaccinated?? as it's a mandatory here to be vaccinated before pre-k... this child is 7 years old... it doesn't make sense at all.. and also the doctor did a poor job as well not checking to see if she's been vaccinated as it should be in her records... still it doesn't make sense, that just me...

 

[shel90]

But the thing I don't get it is how did the child get into school without being vaccinated?? as it's a mandatory here to be vaccinated before pre-k... this child is 7 years old... it doesn't make sense at all.. and also the doctor did a poor job as well not checking to see if she's been vaccinated as it should be in her records... still it doesn't make sense, that just me...

Yea..I was thinking the same thing here...

 

[R2D2]

Kallista (again!),

This story was already posted by someone else. The girls' parents did not get her vaccinated, which is what all children getting CIs are required to do. The other thing is that many deaf children who go for CIs are already pre-disposed toward getting meningitis anyway with or without a CI due to the nature of their hearing conditions and ear structures.

 

[Canuckian_Chick]

Kallista (again!),

This story was already posted by someone else. The girls' parents did not get her vaccinated, which is what all children getting CIs are required to do. The other thing is that many deaf children who go for CIs are already pre-disposed toward getting meningitis anyway with or without a CI due to the nature of their hearing conditions and ear structures.

Yes I agree with you on the it could happen 1 in 1 million.. but still 7 Years old not get vaccinated before pre-k come on.. for 7 years no vaccinated?? something is so wrong in here... can't blame CI I think...

 

[R2D2]

But the thing I don't get it is how did the child get into school without being vaccinated?? as it's a mandatory here to be vaccinated before pre-k... this child is 7 years old... it doesn't make sense at all.. and also the doctor did a poor job as well not checking to see if she's been vaccinated as it should be in her records... still it doesn't make sense, that just me...

Actually a lot of people refuse to vaccinate their children. I have lots of friends who believe they are harmful and damage the immune system and do not vaccinate.... They have all these scary stories about children who have got sick and died after being vaccinated. I did my research and made an informed decision to vaccinate my daughter.

Still more people are lazy and get behind with the vaccination schedule.

 

[Canuckian_Chick]

Actually a lot of people refuse to vaccinate their children. I have lots of friends who believe they are harmful and damage the immune system and do not vaccinate.... They have all these scary stories about children who have got sick and died after being vaccinated. I did my research and made an informed decision to vaccinate my daughter.

Still more people are lazy and get behind with the vaccination schedule.

Understandable, thanks for clarifying smile...still the quote of the mother said " i totally forgotten to do it" either she covering herself up or to blame on CI

 

[FeistyChick]

what a tragic!!! it is very sad!!!

i got vaccinated last december to prevent from getting menigitis... thank god the dr recommended it... he said he always tells his patients to get a vaccine before they get the implant...

i wonder too about how she got into the school system! sheesh... something is very wrong here! :|

i won't be surprised if there is a lawsuit headed the doctor's way... even though the parents are at fault for not getting their daughter vaccinated! sheesh!

 

[Cheri]

But the thing I don't get it is how did the child get into school without being vaccinated?? as it's a mandatory here to be vaccinated before pre-k... this child is 7 years old... it doesn't make sense at all.. and also the doctor did a poor job as well not checking to see if she's been vaccinated as it should be in her records... still it doesn't make sense, that just me...

Word! The department of Heath have ordered all schools in the state of Ohio to show proof of vaccine records, and for students who have not been vaccinated, should not be able to enrolled in school until their vaccines has been updated.

It's sad that the 7 years old hasn't gotten her vaccinated shot for meningitis, now look what happened to her after getting implanted. Stupid parents!

 

[Cheri]

he said he always tells his patients to get a vaccine before they get the implant

I wondered if doctors tells each of their patients that before getting a cochlear implant, because that's very important that parents need to be aware. I hope those who wants a cochlear implant would learned from her death, get vaccinated for meningitis before going under the knife to get implanted.

 

[Canuckian_Chick]

I wondered if doctors tells each of their patients that before getting a cochlear implant, because that's very important that parents need to be aware. I hope those who wants a cochlear implant would learned from her death, get vaccinated for meningitis before going under the knife to get implanted.

The doctor probably did tell the mother but the mother as quoted "forgotten to do it" so maybe Doctor assumed the child is being vaccinated as we all don't know as it just doesn't make sense to me anyways !!

 

[Cheri]

The doctor probably did tell the mother but the mother as quoted "forgotten to do it" so maybe Doctor assumed the child is being vaccinated as we all don't know as it just doesn't make sense to me anyways !!

Me either Doctors should have asked anyway, if she has been vaccinated or not, before going ahead with the surgery, that's what I think it should had been done this way.

 

[LuciaDisturbed]

It's the poor little girl's parents' fault for not having her vaccinated...I don't care if the CI center was out of the vaccine...they could go to a family doctor or almost any other doctor to get the shot. That was really irresponsible of them, there is NO excuse.

Also, ALL children (CI or not) should be vaccinated against meningitis since they are more prone to it, and adults too as well (my friend's brother - hearing adult - passed away from meningitis a few years ago).

 

[R2D2]

Word! The department of Heath have ordered all schools in the state of Ohio to show proof of vaccine records, and for students who have not been vaccinated, should not be able to enrolled in school until their vaccines has been updated.

Is that a new ruling? Here in Australia people too have to show proof of vaccination before enrolling in school but those who don't because they don't believe in it can claim conscience objection. That means their kids can still go to school but if an outbreak happened in the community then those kids will get sent home immediately.

 

[RedheadGrrl]

I felt so bad for the girl. I blame on her parents for not getting her to get vaccine soon. Shes dead already. sigh

When I was going to have CI surgery. My ENT said must to have vaccine of meningitis or she won't do the surgery. So I had vaccine two weeks before surgery.

 

[Canuckian_Chick]

Is that a new ruling? Here in Australia people too have to show proof of vaccination before enrolling in school but those who don't because they don't believe in it can claim conscience objection. That means their kids can still go to school but if an outbreak happened in the community then those kids will get sent home immediately.

IT's a ruling here in Canada as it's mandatory that every child has to be vaccinated before pre-k... and yes if there's a breakout at school, kids are send home.

 

[Banjo]

What I don't understand is why they went ahead and did the surgery. I'll say both the parents and the doctors were irresponsible. The doctors should had refused to do the surgery till they receive the vaccine record as the proof.

 

[Cheri]

Is that a new ruling?.

Oh no it's not a new ruling, it has been this way since as long as I remembered even before when I first enrolled both of my sons in public school districts. Just like how Canuckian_Chicke states that very child has to be vaccinated before kindergarten.