Indiana Boy, 8, Dies Hours After Contracting Rare Brain Infection At School

An Indiana mother is sharing her profound grief to alert others about a rare bacterial infection that tragically claimed her son's life in a matter of hours.

Last month, eight-year-old Liam Dahlberg of Indiana returned home from school complaining of a headache; the following day, he passed away. The cause was identified as Haemophilus influenzae, commonly referred to as H. flu, which led to severe infections in his brain and spinal cord.

His mother, Ashlee, described experiencing "indescribable pain" as she lay with Liam in his final moments while the medical staff turned off his life support.

Though its name sounds similar to the flu, Haemophilus influenzae is a bacterium, not a virus. Infections from it are far less common but can be much more deadly. While H. flu can innocuously exist in the nose and throat of many healthy people, a weaker immune system or another viral illness, such as a cold, can allow it to enter the bloodstream and cause the body to attack healthy organs.

Ashlee shared with local news station 13wmaz: "I would never wish this kind of pain on my worst enemy ever. It’s hard. To have sat there and listened to the doctors say, ‘You did everything right, there’s just nothing we could do.’ [And] to lay there with him as they took him off life support, I could feel his little heartbeat fade away—there’s no words that can describe that pain.”

The family remains unaware of how Liam contracted the illness, especially since he had received all of his recommended childhood vaccinations against H. flu. Babies typically receive the vaccination in three doses, and it is approximately 95% effective at preventing severe illnesses.

In April, Liam came home from school feeling unwell. The next morning, when his headache persisted, his family took him to the hospital. Ashlee recounted to local news, "They took him to an MRI. That’s when they discovered the amount of bacteria that was covering his brain and spinal cord. Basically at that point in time, there was nothing they could do.”

The infection rapidly spread, leading to meningitis, an inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. The damage was so swift and severe that he was deemed brain dead.

On a GoFundMe page created to assist with medical expenses, Liam's family described him as "a bright and smart young boy, full of life and potential." The post further states, "His presence brought joy and warmth to everyone he met.”

Physicians believe Liam may have contracted a breakthrough infection from an unvaccinated student at school who carried high concentrations of the bacteria. H. flu typically resides in healthy people’s noses and is spread through coughing and sneezing.

Before a vaccine was introduced in 1985, the infection used to cause 20,000 severe infections annually in the US, primarily in children under five. Nowadays, there are fewer than 50 cases in young children per year, almost all of which occur in children who are either partially or completely unvaccinated.

However, vaccine uptake has decreased recently, a trend attributed to a generalized skepticism towards vaccines. Ashlee is now urging parents to ensure that all their children have received all recommended vaccinations.

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