Fundraisers continue for Ruston family after 8-year-old dies from rare amoeba infection

RUSTON, La. -- Warnings remain in place for people recreating at Lake Claiborne following the death of an 8-year-old Ruston girl who likely contracted a rare brain-infecting amoeba while in the lake.

Lillian Smart, who turned 8 on Friday, died Saturday after about a week in the hospital. Her death followed brain swelling associated with Naegleria fowleri, commonly referred to as a “brain-eating amoeba.”

Health officials say people recreating in freshwater should take precautions to avoid getting water up their noses, where the amoeba can enter the body. Recommended precautions include wearing nose plugs or avoiding dunking your head underwater.

Naegleria fowleri can travel through the nasal cavity to the brain, where it causes severe damage and can lead to a rare but often fatal infection called PAM, which stands for primary amebic meningoencephalitis.

Cases of infection are extremely rare, with only a few fatal cases reported across the country each year.

Meanwhile, fundraisers continue in the Ruston community to help Lillian’s family with medical expenses.

On Monday night, the Texas Roadhouse in Ruston is dedicating 10% of its sales to Lillian’s family through 10 p.m.

Community members are continuing to organize fundraising efforts in support of the Smart family.

No funeral arrangements for Lillian had been announced.