Florida Boy, 14, Survives After Catching Deadly Brain-Eating Amoeba

“I have come so far," Caleb Ziegelbaur said after surviving the infection with a 97% fatality rate

A 14-year-old boy, who contracted a brain-eating amoeba Port Charlotte Beach, Florida in July 2022, has survived.

After battling the amoeba — which has a 97% fatality rate — for a year Caleb Ziegelbaur can now stand, laugh and communicate through facial expressions and some speech, but acknowledged there is still a journey ahead of him.

“I have come so far and yet I have a lot of progress,” Caleb said to his mother, Jesse Ziegelbaur, during an interview with NBC2 on Wednesday.

The teen also explained that he can now "talk with my eyebrow," to which his mom added: “He went five months without any talking so we had to — his face didn’t move for a very long time so as it woke up he would talk with those eyebrows."

During the interview, Jesse reflected with her son about hitting one year since he first became ill with the deadly infection. “We didn’t even know this time last year, we didn’t even know it was happening. I had no idea what our life was going to turn into," she said.

After contracting the infection last July at the age of 13, Caleb started experiencing a fever, headaches and hallucinations one week later, as previously reported by PEOPLE. His family rushed him to the emergency room where doctors confirmed that the infection, Naegleria fowleri, had entered his body.

“It was an hour drive and he deteriorated rapidly,” Jesse recalled to NBC2 this week. “The neurologist came in and told us four days, ‘You have four days with your son.'"

A year later, the teen has even been able to see the lighter side of the traumatic experience and his survival. “He saw that doctor last week and he said I just want to tell you this is the longest four days of my life," Jesse explained, adding that Caleb's doctor was happy to have been wrong.

Related: Vampire Facials at New Mexico Spa Linked to Additional Cases of HIV

Related: Jessica Simpson Denies Using Ozempic for Weight Loss: 'It's Willpower'

Caleb initially spent eight months fighting the infection at Golisano Children’s Hospital in Florida, followed by a stint in intensive rehab in March. He is now home, however, his aunt, Katie Chiet, said last year that it had been a difficult time for the family.

"It's very lonely and isolating to walk this path because we don't know where we are on any kind of timeline," told NBC last July. "We're hoping against hope that Caleb becomes survivor #6 but we have a long road ahead of us," she added.

Chiet launched a GoFundMe account to cover medical expenses last year, and has updated supporters on Caleb's progress, including in March when she shared that "Caleb is coming home for good."

In September last year, Jesse opened up about her hopes for her son's recovery. "He is made of pure grit and determination, and it is exactly that which we are banking on to wake him up," she said, per ABC News. "I can't wait for him to share his story. It is his and only his to share."

The single-celled organism Naegleria fowleri, or brain-eating amoeba, can cause Primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM), which is a rare and fatal infection of the brain. According to a CDC report, only five people out of 154 who contracted the infection in the U.S. from 1962 to the present have lived

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Brain-eating amoeba is most commonly found in warm fresh waters such as lakes, rivers and hot springs. It also resides in poorly maintained or minimally chlorinated swimming pools, staying in these habitats to feed on bacteria.

The CDC says that symptoms of brain-eating amoeba usually begin one to nine days after nasal exposure and often result in death within 18 days. The first stage of symptoms includes severe headaches, fever, nausea and vomiting. The second stage involves stiff neck, seizures, altered mental status, hallucinations and coma. Diagnosis is usually made after death.

​​The only way to avoid brain-eating amoeba infections is to avoid water-related activities in warm freshwater.  "Anyone that enjoys time in a body of water should cover their nose before they go in or use nose clips," Mirna Chamorro, Florida Department of Health in Orange County spokeswoman, previously told PEOPLE. "As long as they don't put their head under water, they are okay."

Jesse is adamant that Naegleria fowleri is "100% preventable,” and the family now advocate using nose plugs when in the water. Despite the road to recovery ahead of him, Caleb remains optimistic about his future.

“I was going to find the cure for Covid but now I am going to find the vaccine for Naegleria fowleri,” he told NBC2 this week.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.