Florida Boy Beats Rare Brain-eating Parasite

UPDATE: According to an Aug. 24 Facebook update on Zachary Reyna's Facebook page "Pray4Number4," a final examination of brain activity began that morning, and was followed by a post which read, "Zac's organs are very strong and his parents have decided to donate his organs to others in need. Even though Zac has passed, he will still be saving many lives. According to the post, Reyna was being kept on a ventilator as of the 24th. The next day, the family posted that they "respect the doctors protocol but we continue with our faith and believe God will step in on his time irregardless of what has been said."

Zachary Reyna, 12, appears to be well on his way to becoming the third person in the United States within the last 50 years to survive a rare form of meningitis caused by the brain-eating amoeba Naegleria fowleri.

The announcement of Reyna's improvement came in the form of a Facebook post on the page "Pray4Number4," dedicated to increasing awareness and rallying support for the boy's condition.

"We were told this morning that the antibiotics have defeated the infection," Reyna's father wrote. "Tests showed negative activity from the amoeba."

However, the message continues, describing the damage caused to Reyna's brain as "extensive."

Reyna was hospitalized with primary amoebic meningoencephalitis (PAM) on Aug. 4. He is believed to have contracted the disease while knee boarding with friends in a water-filled ditch near his home in LaBelle, Fla.

The announcement of Reyna's improved state came the same day reports began circulating stating that Kali Hardig, 12, had beaten back the same infection to begin talking and walking again.

Hardig is the second person from 130 confirmed cases over the last 50 years to survive PAM. She is believed to have contracted it while swimming in a sandy-bottom lake near her home in Arkansas.

"Kali is doing amazing and we are so proud of her," Hardig's mother, Traci Hardig, said, according to KATV. "She just does something everyday and it blows us away."

According to USA Today, Hardig's doctors are citing the use of an experimental breast cancer drug as well as a dramatic drop in body temperature as the possible reasons behind Hardig's success. The news outlet further reported the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as saying that doctors for both Hardig and Reyna have been in communication.