A 17-Year-Old Girl Has Died Just Weeks After Developing Mono Symptoms
Ariana Rae Delfs, 17, has died after contracting mononucleosis three weeks ago.
Her parents took her to the doctor, but they couldn’t figure out what was wrong as her symptoms continued to worsen.
While it is uncommon for mono to be fatal, a doctor explains how to spot serious complications.
A family in Florida is mourning the loss of their teenage daughter after she developed a rare complication from the contagious disease mononucleosis. Ariana Rae Delfs, 17, died after contracting mono three weeks ago.
Her father, Mark Delfs, told WJAX-TV that Ariana started having typical cold-like symptoms and “seem to always have a headache” at first. Ariana’s parents took her to the doctor, where she was given a lot of tests, but doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong. Meanwhile, Ariana got even more sick.
“One evening, not too long ago, she started throwing up just constantly. We got very nervous, so the next morning at 7 a.m. we said we’re going to take her to the hospital,” Delfs said. Still, Ariana got worse.
HEARTBREAKING: Ariana Rae Delfs was a star student-athlete & artist at Fernandina Beach High School taken far too soon.
At just 17, Ariana died of Epstein-Barr virus, better known as mono.
Hear how her family is hoping to save a life tonight only on @ActionNewsJax pic.twitter.com/HuygBUGf3r— Dani Bozzini (@DaniANjax) December 11, 2019
“She got up to go to the bathroom. All of a sudden she couldn’t feel part of her legs, and she felt like her legs were just giving out,” Delfs said. Her doctors thought she was having a stroke, and Ariana was airlifted to a hospital.
“Her words were very slurred at times. She was just talking gibberish, and the damage was already beginning at that point, which we just didn’t know,” Delfs said. Just before she died, her doctors discovered that the teen had mononucleosis and Epstein-Barr.
Three days after she was hospitalized, Ariana died. “Her brain swelled to the point where it couldn’t function and brain damage did occur,” Delfs said. “And we just made the decision that it was time to let her go.”
What is mononucleosis, exactly?
Mononucleosis, a.k.a. mono, is a contagious disease that is usually caused by the Epstein-Barr virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says, which is most commonly spread through saliva, as well as other bodily fluids like blood and semen during sexual contact. Other infections that can cause mono include HIV, rubella, hepatitis, and adenovirus.
Symptoms generally include extreme fatigue, fever, sore throat, head and body aches, swollen lymph nodes in the neck and armpits, a swollen liver or spleen, and a rash, the CDC says.
Most people who contract mono recover in two to four weeks, but some may struggle with fatigue for longer. In some cases, the symptoms can last for six months or longer, the CDC says. There is no treatment for mono, but patients are generally urged to get supportive care, like drinking plenty of fluids to stay hydrated, getting lots of rest, and taking over-the-counter medications for pain and fever.
How common is it for someone to actually die after contracting mono?
It’s incredibly rare, says infectious disease expert Amesh A. Adalja, M.D., senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
In Ariana’s case, she developed encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain, from the Epstein-Barr virus, Dr. Adalja explains. “This occurs in about 1% of cases where you have a complication of the Epstein-Barr virus,” he says. “But most of the time, even when people have that, they recover.”
In general, it’s “rare” to have complications of the Epstein-Barr virus and “even more rare” to actually die from them, Dr. Adalja says.
What are the signs that someone might have complications from mono?
Mono treatment is really about controlling the symptoms, but you want to be on the lookout for neurologic symptoms, Dr. Adalja says. Those include facial palsy (like facial weakness or drooping) and issues with balance. If you notice those in addition to the symptoms mentioned above, get to a hospital ASAP.
Ariana’s father hopes that sharing her story will encourage other parents to play close attention to their child’s symptoms. “In our case, it wasn’t enough, but in somebody else’s case it may save their life,” he said.
To support Ariana’s family, you can donate to their GoFundMe here. “This legacy fund will be used to help fund some of her passions, including music and arts programs for children, helping animals and making the world a better place,” the page reads.
Like what you just read? You’ll love our magazine! Go here to subscribe. Don’t miss a thing by downloading Apple News here and following Prevention. Oh, and we’re on Instagram too.
You Might Also Like
