Florida Teenager Battles Flesh-Eating Bacteria After Swimming

A Florida teenager is fighting for his life in the hospital after being exposed to a flesh-eating bacteria while swimming at a park.

Joziah Thompson, 17, was swimming at a park in Niceville, Florida, when he got what he believed was just a scratch on his leg. However, two days later, the leg was inflamed and painful to touch.

Doctors determined Thompson had been in contact with Vibrio vulnificus, bacteria that occurs naturally in warm, mildly salty coastal waters. It is often referred to as “flesh-eating” as it can cause severe damage to skin and soft tissue.

“I never imagined I would be creating a fundraiser for my child,” said Joziah’s mother, Tirzah Thompson, on GoFundMe.

She added: “As parents, watching your child suffer is heartbreaking. Sitting beside his hospital bed, listening to monitors, watching him endure pain, surgeries, and fear, is something no mother is ever prepared for.”

Tirzah Thompson had to start the fundraiser as she is the primary provider in her family of nine, and has had to shut her spa business down as she cares for her son in the hospital. She is raising money through a GoFundMe to pay for household essentials, travel and medical expenses.

The campaign has raised nearly $12,000.

“We are believing God for Joziah's complete healing and trusting Him through every step of this journey. If you feel led to help, whether through prayer, sharing our story, or making a donation, our family would be deeply grateful,” the page read.

Tirzah Thompson spoke to Fox10 about how her son’s battle has inspired her to fight for better public information around bacteria levels, telling the outlet: “I’m pushing for a system put in place to know the bacteria levels in local waters. I don’t want this to happen to any other children. My son is 5-foot 11-inches and 225 pounds. What if this was a 5-year-old who doesn’t have the strength to fight something off like this?”

Thompson, who is also autistic, is currently undergoing care at the Studer Family Children's Hospital in Pensacola. There, doctors are working to save his leg, but are also treating Thompson’s rapid heart rate and blood pressure struggles, per his mother.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, Vibrio vulnificus is very rare but can be lethal, with a mortality rate of up to 50 percent. It is usually contracted by eating raw shellfish or by getting seawater in a wound. A Vibrio vulnificus infection can lead to sepsis or hemorrhages. There are about 100 to 200 cases of Vibrio vulnificus infections in the U.S. every year.

It is usually found in areas where fresh water meets salt water, such as where a river meets the ocean. An infection can be treated with antibiotics if caught early, but infected people may have to undergo amputation.

Thompson’s mother told Fox10: “What child wants to spend their summer fighting for their life?”