An 8-year-old girl in Louisiana has died after being infected with an extremely rare brain-eating amoeba commonly found in warm freshwater lakes, her family said on Aug. 23.
Lilian Smart died on Aug. 22, shortly after celebrating her 8th birthday, according to a Facebook page created by her family. In an earlier post, her family said Lilian developed significant swelling due to the Naegleria fowleri amoeba.
“Last night Lillian ran from our arms to the arms of Jesus,” her family wrote. “The injuries to her brain were too severe for her little body to recover from. Everyone did everything they could to keep her here. We are heartbroken and honestly do not know what to do next.”…