The Invisible Threat In The Water: The Tragic Louisiana Lake Case That Has Swimmers On Edge

Seven-year-old Lillian Smart swam in the waters of Lake Claiborne, near her home in Ruston, in north Louisiana. What came next is a parent’s worst nightmare. Over the span of a week, the girl lost her life due to an invisible, brain-eating threat.

Lillian developed a fever and was rushed to the hospital. She spent her eighth birthday in the intensive care unit. Soon after, she passed away. This tragedy should never have happened. But the threat she faced continues to claim young people’s lives.

“Last night Lillian ran from our arms to the arms of Jesus. The injuries to her brain were too severe for her little body to recover from. Everyone did everything they could to keep her here. We are heartbroken and honestly do not know what to do next. How do we put one foot in front of the other without our girl?” Lillian’s grieving family wrote in a post.

What claimed the little girl’s life is a microscopic organism found in warm freshwater. Though incredibly rare, the brain-eating amoeba—Naegleria fowleri—is almost always fatal after you contract it. And it has swimmers on edge. Lillian was not the only victim.