My son, Crawford Alan Carnahan, was born August 21, 1988. He died on May 12, 2007.
My son died from a common disease named leptospirosis. The name is not known by many because it is not reportable to the CDC (Communicable Disease Center). Coroners list the cause of death by the last infection or complication that the patient has instead of the "cause" of the infection or complication.
For example; a person that had cancer dies from "pneumonia or respiratory problems". As in Crawford's cause of death listed in the autopsy report: "Brain death as a consequence of intracerebral hemorrhages."
Search: Leptospirosis for further information. Leptospirosis; if identified or identified quickly, can be cured. But, the "specialist's" here at St. Vincent's Hospital in Indianapolis, IN didn't figure it out until it was too late to save him. I hold them responsible.
I ask myself why this disease is not required to be reported to the CDC? It's a mystery to me. Maybe, they("The government") does't want to frighten the hikers, campers, and naturalist's who give millions of dollars each year to our state and government parks. Leptospira is a corkscrew parasite that enters through a scratch, wound, mucus membrane or through water soaked skin. Leptospirosis is the official name of the disease and the damage that the parasite(s) cause to the human body. The parasite travels in the blood stream and attaches itself to multiple organs (especially the heart) causing total organ failure within 2 to 14 days.
In my son's case; it was 2 days. Leptospirosis starts out mirroring a stomach flu. Symptoms are nausea, fever, and diarrhea. In addition; it's accompanied with a severe stiff neck (start of meningitis). Crawford thought that he had just "slept wrong" on his pillow the night before. We didn't know any different. As the parasite(s) multiplies and infects the heart; the blood flow to the body drops. Within hours there's total organ(s) failure. He lived in a coma for 5 more days and died on the 7th day after contacting the parasite.
The parasites live in infected wildlife animals (rodents, raccoons, etc.) urine and feces dropped onto plants or the ground in the woods. All it takes is for one to touch or brush up against a infected plant, walk through a infected stream wearing shorts, barefooted or with pants on; or pick up a infected stick from the ground. If that stream, plant, or item has been urinated on or had feces dropped upon it from a infected animal; you have a good chance of that parasite entering through your skin.
My son loved being in the woods. He built tree houses as a young kid, ramped and rode his bikes on trails and loved to just walk through them. I learned from his friends during his sickness that he was with a group of his friends in the wooded area behind our housing addition just a few days before. They were all celebrating their up coming graduation from high school with a cookout. They thought that it would be fun to build benches and a walkway across the small creek with dead tree logs. Something that they did often as small children. He had been in the creek placing the logs together for the walk across and helped build the benches out of logs. Was he infected while in the creek, touched nearby plants that had infected urine on them; or did he pick up infected feces off the ground as he lifted up the logs? Were the parasites on his hands as he later ate a sandwich? These parasites are microscopic; until they enter a hosts body. Then; they grow as they feed off the hosts body.
Did they enter through a cut; absorbed through the skin, or did he ingest them? The State Board of Heath in Indiana came out to the wooded area and after testing; confirmed the presence of Leptospira. You cannot feel it, taste it, see it, or smell it. Your loving pet can be vaccinated to prevent Leptospirosis; but humans cannot. Why is this? We will never know how the parasite(s) entered his body. All we know is how devastating this parasite is.
A healthy 18 year old one day and two days later he's fighting for his life. You fought a great fight, son. As you did with the bullies in school; you fought back. Those you won..... This time; there were just too many of them.
I love you and miss you son.
Forever;
Your Father
I have made a full loving memorial on another memorial website. If you are interested; please copy and paste the link below into your browser and it will take you there.
Thank you, Alan Carnahan
http://www.virtual-memorials.com/main.php?action=view&mem_id=11204&page_no=1 | 
