Louisiana family devastated after child dies with brain-eating amoeba
An 8-year-old Louisiana girl from Ruston has died after being infected with brain-eating amoeba after swimming in Lake Claiborne.
Lillian Smart died Aug. 22, one day after her birthday, her family said in a public Facebook post on the “Love for Lillian” page.
“Last night Lillian ran from our arms to the arms of Jesus,” her family said in the post. “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?”
The Louisiana Department of Health reported Aug. 19 it had confirmed a case of Naegleria fowleri, often referred to as a brain-eating amoeba, that was likely contracted while swimming in Lake Claiborne. It is almost always fatal.
Gov. Jeff Landry and Attorney General Liz Murrill both offered condolences with social media posts Sunday.
“Heartbroken over the news of Lillian’s passing,” Landry said in a post on X. “Please join Sharon and me in prayer for the Smart family and the entire Ruston community during this time.”
The Smart family said it will lean on its Christian faith and community as it grieves Lillian’s loss.
“Our foundation is still in Jesus,” the family said in the post. “We didn’t get to keep our girl but we watched miracles happen on her behalf. We believe God is good. He will give us strength when we have none left. He’s given us a community of support that I don’t think can be found anywhere else in the world. Lil would have loved seeing everyone come together and she would have been right in the middle of it trying to help where she could.
“We are devastated. We know you are too. Pray for our boys. They are going to need it so much. Pray for our friends and family; they are so sad and somehow still showing up for us. Pray for us, we won’t be able to do this without it.
“We are so grateful to you for loving our girl.”
Naegleria fowleri is commonly found in warm freshwater lakes, rivers, canals and ponds throughout the U.S. and can cause primary amebic meningoencephalitis, a brain infection that may result when water containing the amoeba rushes up the nose and reaches the brain.
Naegleria fowleri can’t infect people if swallowed and isn’t spread from person to person. The brain-eating amoeba is not found in salt water or in properly maintained and chlorinated pools.
There have been only 180 known cases of primary amebic meningoencephalitis in the U.S. from 1937 through 2025. Louisiana had three cases during that time.
This article originally appeared on Shreveport Times: Louisiana family devastated after child dies with brain-eating amoeba
Reporting by Greg Hilburn, Shreveport Times / Shreveport Times
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
