Texas woman's death shines light on dangers of brain-eating amoebas

Heading into the year’s hottest months, the city of Arlington says water safety is top of mind.

It’s been three years since it implemented the Bakari Williams Protocol.

The 3-year-old boy died after contracting Naegleria fowleri, better known as a brain-eating amoeba, during a visit to a city splashpad.

“When water is not cared for, when water is untreated, when temperatures begin to rise and the water heats up, it creates an environment that is just ripe for this brain-eating amoeba to develop, to grow,” said attorney Stephen Stewart.

Stewart represented Bakari’s parents in the case that resulted in $600,000 of improvements that the city said would ensure public pools and splash pads are adequately chlorinated.  

But on Thursday, advocates reminded that individuals must also follow safety protocol after the CDC announced a Texas woman contracted the amoeba after using a nasal rinse with contaminated water from her RV last year.

It’s a lesson Lily Avant’s parents learned the hard way.

“It was complete shock,” said her mother, Laci Avant.

“Yeah. Because you had heard about it, but you thought it couldn't happen to you,” added her father, John Crawson.

On Labor Day weekend 2019, the parents said their sweet and sassy 10-year-old was swimming in the Brazos near their Waco home.

It’s something the family had done countless times.

But five days later, Lily complained of a headache. She developed a fever.

The next morning, Avant found her daughter unresponsive. Lily was Careflighted to Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, where a spinal tap determined she’d contracted the amoeba.

“They then told us that it's 99% fatal. They started administering the medication,” said Avant.

“We never got to talk to her again,” said Crawson.

As of 2023, the CDC reports 164 cases. There are only four people known to survive.

The amoeba enters through the nose.

It thrives in warm freshwater and is also found in inadequately chlorinated pools and contaminated tap water.

Thursday, the agency urged those who use nasal irrigation tools like neti pots to only do so with distilled, sterilized or boiled and cooled tap water.

Lily’s parents urge people to know the symptoms and take simple preventative steps.

“We don't want people to stay away from lakes or having fun. We just want to educate them. And for God’s sake, if you're going to wear a life jacket, wear a nose plug or keep your head above water or plug your nose when you're swimming,” said Crawson.

In the wake of her death, Lily’s parents have teamed up to advocate with other families through Kyle Cares Amoeba Awareness.

7-year-old Kyle Lewis died in 2010 after contracting the amoeba while swimming in fresh water in Texas.

While the CDC reports the number of cases is rare, advocates believe some may go unreported because early symptoms mimic meningitis or the flu.