ROCKY RIVER, OH (WCMH) – A six-year-old girl from the Cleveland area died last night from a rare complication of the flu.
Eva Marie Harris passed away shortly before 10pm Thursday, WKYC reported.
Her mother posted a message on Facebook saying how the family has been humbled by the love, prayers and support of the community.
Eva was taken to the hospital in Cleveland Tuesday with a 105-degree fever. Tests indicated she had a viral infection and her body’s immune response system and brain had been damaged by that infection.
Eva’s family released the following statement:
“We are truly humbled by the outpouring of love, prayers and support from the community for our beloved daughter, Eva Harris.
We are deeply saddened to share that Eva has passed away. As her family, we wish to request privacy as we remember and celebrate her amazing life.
On Feb. 7, Eva was admitted to Cleveland Clinic Children’s with a fever of 105 degrees. After undergoing several tests, we learned that she had a viral infection and her body’s immune response had also caused damage to her brain. As a result, Eva developed a severe form of a neurological disease called acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM), or acute necrotizing encephalopathy of childhood (ANEC). There are a variety of viruses that can trigger ADEM/ANEC; however, the disease does not appear to be caused by any single infectious agent and Eva’s case is extremely rare.
While this is a very difficult time for our family, we are extremely grateful for Eva’s medical team, especially her nurses. We are thankful for all that was done for our daughter during her relatively brief time in the hospital.”