Irving boy, 15, dies after illness
Posted on 08/29/2002 3:26:23 AM PDT by MeekOneGOP
Irving boy, 15, dies after illness
Sister, 13, succumbed to same unexplained ailment 10 days ago
08/29/2002
IRVING - A 15-year-old Irving boy has died, 10 days after his younger sister succumbed to a still-unexplained illness.
Matthew Johnson died Wednesday at Children's Medical Center, according to the Dallas County medical examiner's office, two weeks after he slipped into a coma.
Hospital officials have declined to release information about the children, citing their parents' wishes. An autopsy was performed on Rachel Johnson, the boy's sister, but its findings have yet to be released.
Pastor Steve Nutter of Community Bible Church, who has been speaking for the parents, has said 13-year-old Rachel died Aug. 18 after being infected with Mycoplasma pneumoniae bacteria, a cause of walking pneumonia. It is believed Matthew died of the same illness, Mr. Nutter said.
Pneumonia from mycoplasma is rarely fatal, especially among younger patients. The bacterium causes about 2 million cases of pneumonia a year.
The pastor said Wednesday it was not clear why the illness affected the two children as it did. But pneumonia might not be the only factor, he said.
"I have had medical personnel tell me they do not think this is the sole cause," Mr. Nutter said. "Something else must have triggered this."
What that might be has not been made known to the family or him, the pastor said.
Rachel's death and Matthew's condition prompted the city of Irving to quarantine the family's east Irving home because of possible public health concerns. The quarantine was lifted after no threat to public health was found.
Three other children in the family, ranging in age from 5 to 17 years old, were also found to have pneumonia and were treated with antibiotics, according to Mr. Nutter, who said they had since been released from Children's.
Rachel and Matthew appeared to have no signs of illness before being stricken with upper respiratory problems and loss of consciousness, Mr. Nutter said.
Matthew lost consciousness Aug. 14 and was hospitalized; Rachel had similar symptoms four days later and died on the way to the hospital, the pastor has said.
Matthew's condition wavered until taking a turn for the worse late Tuesday, Mr. Nutter said.
"I admire how these parents have so lovingly and responsibly cared for their children all the eight years I have known them and are continuing to do so through this time of grief," he said.
A joint memorial service for Rachel and Matthew is scheduled for Friday in Irving.
Robert Hohman, Irving's public health services manager, said Wednesday that firefighters had canvassed the neighborhood to see whether anyone else was sick. He said residents should not be concerned.
"There's nothing in the house and nothing in the neighborhood we're aware of," he said.
E-mail lkpowell@dallasnews.com
Luckily I believe everything I read, because our news media are our friends and fellow patriots.
However, I've heard no other confirming report of the above.
The mycoplasma sets off some warning bells for me because I've read that a lot of Gulf War veterans came back with mycoplasma infections. I don't know the latest research, but at one time, it was thought to be the main culprit in the Gulf War Syndrome. We'll see what the tests show.
Mycoplasma pneumonia is usually easily treated with an oral antibiotic. I wonder if it's now become antibiotic resistant--either naturally, or with help.
In any event, prayers and condolences to the family. G-d bless them.
You're no fun!
Pastor Steve Nutter says the daughter died of the bacteria, and he stated that it is "believed" that the son did too, but he also said that no-one has told him how the kids died but "medical people" he's talked to said that there's something more because people just don't die of regular pneumonia. Duh!
Pastor Steve Nutter, in a separate interview, says that the cow did indeed jump over the moon.
The amateur sleuths, crisis logistics managers, and hang-around-the-sick-and-dead kid ghouls on Free Republic DEMAND a West Nile angle to this story!!!!
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Oh, sure. Just let me get my tin-foil hat on.
1) West Nile doesn't cause respiratory symptoms - rule that out.
2) Mycoplasma doesn't normally kill healthy people but it does happen.
3) Two other diseases that DO cause respiratory symptoms and DO kill healthy people are Plague and Anthrax.
4) Plague is endemic among rodents and their fleas in the US.
5) Beats the heck out of me. Send me their records and autopsy reports.
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