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9-Year-Old Survives Near-Fatal Illness

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By D'ANN LAWRENCE WHITE, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 14, 2007

SEFFNER - He didn't care that his illness's official name was methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or that it is more commonly known as a superbug staph infection.

Ben Welch of Seffner, then 9 years old, just knew he was hurting - hurting badly.

"I just remember I was playing soccer at BAYSL Brandon Area Youth Soccer League. We won 3-0. I scored the winning goal and slid," said Ben, now 12, recalling events in April 2005. "That night I told my dad that my leg was hurting."

Not only was Ben's leg aching, but also his temperature shot up to 105 degrees. Harold Welch, a Seffner dentist, suspected a joint infection and took his son to see Brandon orthopedic surgeon John Okun the next day. When there were no signs of a joint infection, Okun tested Ben's blood and discovered his white cell count was eight times higher than it should have been.

It was something Okun had seen before and a number of times since, most recently last week. He rushed Ben to Brandon Regional Hospital, where pediatric critical care physician Hamid Latif confirmed his suspicions. The youngster had a MRSA infection inside his leg bones.

Also referred to as MERSA, MRSA is an antibiotic-resistant superbug that is becoming a growing epidemic among athletes. About 25 percent to 30 percent of the population carry the bacteria in their noses.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, MRSA infections killed nearly 19,000 Americans in 2005. The CDC has reported MRSA could become a bigger epidemic than AIDS.

"It's like the AIDS of the millennium," Okun said. "The only problem is prevention doesn't really work. It's too pervasive. You just have to be aware of it and take action if you see indications of an infection."

MRSA grows in clusters, multiplies rapidly and can cause many kinds of infection, ranging from simple skin infections to septicemia infection of the bloodstream and toxic shock syndrome.

Last month, children in Mississippi, New Hampshire and Virginia died from MRSA infections. Virginia school officials were so alarmed they closed and sanitized 21 schools in the state.

In addition, six football players at a North Carolina high school, seven students at three West Virginia schools and at least two teens in Connecticut were diagnosed with the deadly infection.

Closer to home, three students at Tampa Prep and a fourth at Durant High School recently were diagnosed with MRSA.

The infection doesn't respond to penicillin or most other antibiotics. It is carried on the skin, especially in the noses of healthy people, and it can be spread by skin-to-skin contact or by sharing an item used by an infected person, particularly one with a cut or abrasion. A number of the cases have involved student athletes who tend to get cuts, scratches and nosebleeds during the course of their workouts. Ben had a bloody nose a few days before he became sick, his father said.

Fortunately, Latif was familiar with the superbug. He started Ben on a regimen of vancomycin, traditionally reserved as a drug of last resort after all other antibiotics are tried because it corrodes the veins.

However, in the case of MRSA, it's the only effective antibiotic.

However, there are no guarantees.

"He started running a fever again, and we thought he was going to die," Welch said.

Months later, at a medical conference Welch attended at Brandon Regional Hospital, he was surprised to find his son used as a case study. He was more alarmed to discover Ben had a one in five chance of dying, something the doctors didn't discuss with him when Ben was admitted to the hospital.

"It could have been fatal. We were very worried. That's not something we like to think about," Okun said.

The Welches decided not to take chances and called their parish priest.

"The pain was so bad from the infection, it would hurt if a nurse put her cap in the bed," Ben said. "But when the priest came in and blessed me and touched my legs, I didn't even flinch. It didn't hurt at all. I think it was a miracle."

A chance remained that the infection had crept into the growth plates in Ben's legs and they would not grow any longer or, at worst, doctors would have to amputate.

"For a kid who lives for sports, this was devastating," Welch said. "He's all boy - plays soccer, baseball, basketball, you name it. Sports are what he does."

The family's prayers were answered. When Okun operated, all the damage was outside the growth plates.

"He was very lucky," Okun said. "The infection was moving very quickly. I was just amazed at how much bone was involved. But the infection had just reached the growth plates and stopped."

Okun performed two surgeries on one leg and one surgery on the other to correct the damage caused by the MRSA bacteria. After a month in the hospital, Ben was able to go home in a wheelchair. He healed for 18 months and then, when he received the OK to begin using his legs again, Welch said nothing could stop his son.

"He would work out until his legs shook because he wanted to get back to playing so badly," Welch said.

Now pitching for his baseball team and playing soccer for Brandon Academy, Ben said he feels he's nearly back to his old self.

"I feel I'm back mentally," he said. "Physically, I'm not as fast as I used to be, but I'm glad to be out there."

Ben said he hopes his story will make people aware of the need to pay close attention to minor cuts and bug bites, either of which can let the MRSA bacteria into the body.

"If you get a spider bite and it gets red hot and starts swelling, go to the doctor immediately," he said. "Don't wait until it's as big as a circle."

As a parent who admittedly used to be lackadaisical about minor scrapes and scratches, Welch said he has become much more cautious and urges other parents to do the same.

"Once it gets into the blood stream, it can land anywhere with devastating effects," he said. "I don't take chances anymore."

Okun, however, warned against overreaction. He said it wasn't necessary for school officials in Virginia to close 21 schools, nor is he in favor of mandatory testing of hospital personnel.

"It's gotten overblown," he said. "People shouldn't panic. Yes, it can be severe, but most people will heal just fine. Most don't turn out to be like Ben's. Just be aware. If you get a cut or scrape, wash it well with soap and water; that's still the best thing. And if it doesn't heal like you expect it to - becomes red, infected, develops pus - go see the doctor."

As for preventing MRSA, Okun said he takes the same precautions he takes to prevent the spread of any germs.

"You can't live in a bubble," he said.

He said he advises patients to wash their hands frequently with soap and water - he isn't a big fan of hand sanitizers. He also cautions them to avoid shaking hands if someone has a cold or open wound, be especially vigilant during the cold season when people are coughing and sneezing and don't hesitate to see a doctor if there are signs of an infection.

FIND OUT MORE

Brandon Regional Hospital has a fact sheet about MRSA and a link to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on its Web site at www.brandon hospital.com.

Reporter D'Ann Lawrence White can be reached at (813) 657-4524 or dlwhite@tampatrib.com.

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