Mosquito Virus Nearly Kills NC Boy

CHARLOTTE, NC– Kimberly Wise is happy to just see her 11-year old JJ smiling again, but he has a long path of recovery ahead.

“You shouldn’t walk outside and be worried about a mosquito killing your child, and he was close to death,” said Wise.

Wise who lives in Burnsville near Asheville, says it started when JJ started complaining of headaches a week or so after getting several mosquito bites in late June.

Doctors first said JJ had viral meningitis, then diagnosed him with La Crosse virus. It comes from mosquitos in areas with hardwood trees, like the mountains. then it got worse.

“The Enterovirus hitting at the same time meant the two ganged up on him and ended up causing this, causing him have the seizure which then it was blood loss to the brain which then caused the stroke,” said Wise.

JJ spent weeks in a coma, and now is in speech and physical therapy at Levine Children’s Hospital. Kimberly has a warning for other parents.

“Deet wearing Deet, you tell your kids all the time don’t forget to put it on and they run out of the door and you think ok next time I’ll tell them,” said Wise.

A family friend set up a Go Fund Me page to help with JJ’s medical expenses. https://www.gofundme.com/getwelljj