A Northern Virginia mother is speaking out after her daughter became ill with E. coli after visiting Lake Anna.
For Ava Inglett, a 15-year-old student at Kettle Run High School in Nokesville, Virginia, Memorial Day weekend started off on a high note. She and her friends spent the weekend boating on Lake Anna, a popular summer spot in Virginia. They had fun and made memories.
However, a few days later, the same child who had been photographed basking in the sunshine on the boat was found bedridden in hospital.
“And now she's on dialysis and going through all of the things I never thought in a million years my daughter would go through,” her mother, Judy Inglett, said.
Judy Inglett said one of Ava's friends tested positive for E. coli. Within days, Ava's condition worsened, and doctors at the University of Virginia diagnosed her with kidney failure.
Since being transferred to Innova, she has had three blood transfusions and four sessions of dialysis.
“There's something in the water that's making all the kids sick,” Judy Inglett said.
of The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) is currently investigating. A cluster of gastrointestinal illnesses and E. coli cases occurred among children who were in Lake Anna over Memorial Day weekend. According to VDH, E. coli infections can cause stomach cramps and diarrhea, as well as vomiting, fever and chills. In severe cases, it can damage organs, including the kidneys, and cause vomiting and vomiting. Hemolytic-uremic syndromeIt affects the kidneys and the body's blood clotting system.
“We hope that the hospitalized patients recover quickly and can return home to their families,” Dr. Olugbenga O. Obasanjo, Rappahannock Health District health officer, said in an online statement. “This is an ongoing investigation by the health department and we expect the situation will become clearer in the coming days.”
VDH said all of the people who became ill had swam in Lake Anna or had some other contact with the water, but health officials said there is not enough information yet to confirm that contact with the lake was the cause of the illnesses.
“Water quality testing is being conducted on the lake to assess current bacterial concentrations and determine if there is an ongoing risk to public health,” the Lake Health Department said in a statement.
Health officials say safety advice for all parents includes swimmers showering before and after swimming, washing their hands before eating and never drinking lake water.
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“I just want people to be aware and think twice before they let their kids swim in that water because I don't want anyone else to go through what my daughter went through,” Judy Inglett said.
For Ava Inglett, the unofficial start of summer began with more days in the hospital than vacation. Her mother said doctors might allow her to leave the hospital as soon as Friday if Ava's kidneys improve.
