Orlando

Weston Teen Who Survived Rare Amoeba Infection is Ready for School

A Weston teen who survived a rare brain-eating amoeba says he's ready to return to school.

A video call from 16-year-old Sebastian DeLeon was broadcast Friday at the Amoeba Summit at Florida Hospital in Orlando.

“It’s mixed feelings, because I don’t want to miss any more school, and I know I’m going to have to do a lot of work, but at the same time I’m a kid and don’t want to go to school,” DeLeon said

DeLeon was infected in Broward County in early August and hospitalized days later during a family vacation in Orlando. Hospital staff knew to look for the amoeba, which can be contracted through the nose when swimming in freshwater lakes or rivers.

The infection kills most people, including an 11-year-old boy who died in 2014 at Florida Hospital. DeLeon is one of only four people in the country to survive the infection in the past 50 years.

The Amoeba Summit was started last year by his parents.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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