The little girl's breathing had become shallow. She was placed in intensive care, on a ventilator and under sedation. It didn't take doctors long to figure out that Summer had encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain. What they didn't know was what type of encephalitis she had; it would take two weeks for the lab results to come back. For treatment purposes, the exact diagnosis didn't really matter.
by Debbie Gilbert White County News
Susan Goodrich never dreamed that a mosquito bite could endanger her child's life. The Sautee resident admits she's a bit of a “hypochondriac” when it comes to protecting her family's health. They use hand sanitizers and they always get their flu shots. So when her 6-year-old daughter, Summer, fell ill last month with a rare brain infection, it was as if Goodrich's worst nightmare had come true. The ordeal began on July 26, when Summer complained of a severe headache. At first, Goodrich didn't think it was anything serious.But then her daughter began to show signs of neurological impairment. She was drooling and staring into space; she didn't respond to questions. Alarmed, Goodrich called 911. By the time paramedics arrived, Summer had begun vomiting. The child was taken by ambulance to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville, where a spinal tap showed an unusual number of white blood cells. Doctors decided to transfer Summer by helicopter to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston.