A distraught mother in Indiana posted her plight on Facebook. Her 12 year old daughter ended up in the hospital with a very serious infection, following a family vacation to Destin.
When the family returned home to Indiana, the girl was taken to the hospital with a high fever. She required several surgeries to save her leg after suffering septic shock and is recovering.
Michelle Brown believes Kylei contracted flesh-eating bacteria from swimming in the Gulf.
Reporters checked with the Florida Department of Health, which had not been contacted by the family.
The FDOH tells WEAR 3 that "Currently, there are no public health concerns related to vibrio in either Walton or Okaloosa counties."
The infection can be contracted through open wounds or skin infections in hot tubs, swimming pools, and natural bodies of water (e.g., lakes, rivers, oceans).
And they did swim in the pool where they were staying.
And yes, Kylei did have a scrape on her big toe. Which is something we need to be aware of: if you have an open wound or infection, avoid going into the Gulf, a river, or the pool.