Cromwell Girl Expected To Survive After Flu, Near Organ Failure Sends Her To The Hospital

One Cromwell teen is fighting the odds after suffering major complications from the flu virus.

After a week in ICU at St. Francis Children’s Hospital in Tulsa, 17-year-old Jasmine Lowe has finally been moved to a regular floor, her father, Harry Shubin, told News 9.

What started as the flu quickly escalated into something very scary for the Lowe family.

"At first, she started having seizures, and then, she wasn't able to breathe,” said Shubin.

Jasmine was immediately taken to the hospital where the seizures continued.  

“We could have lost her really,” he said.

Shubin said when Jasmine was first admitted to St. Francis, the doctors were extremely concerned.

“Her doctor’s exact words were, ‘she has the whole gambit of the flu,’” he said.

At some points, she was having difficulty breathing.

“We could have lost her really,” Shubin said.

Jasmine caught a secondary bacterial infection which spread to her organs.

“She’s got fluid around her heart and she’s got pneumonia," Shubin said.

But with treatment, Jasmine is making a major comeback, her father said.

"This hospital is amazing. The drugs are great. They are working. And they make us feel like were at home. We really appreciate it,” Jasmine's father said.

So, how can the flu turn into something so dangerous, so quickly?

According to Oklahoma State Department of Health's Dr. Laurence Burnsed, it’s different for each person but there are some factors.

"We’re talking about a respiratory illness. For some individuals, it continues to effect their lungs and causes pneumonia. In some cases, it might become invasive and cause meningitis, encephalitis or complications due to bacterial infections,” he said.

A secondary bacterial infection can also accompany the flu, becoming invasive in our bloodstream, which can affect certain vital organs causing them to shut down.

Burnsed encourages everyone to get a flu vaccine. Not only do they help prevent the flu, they help minimize the effects of the flu, thereby minimizing the risks of serious complications.

As for Jasmine, her father said she is back to being Jasmine.

“While me and her mother were talking in her hospital room, she was up in her bed on the phone. But man, she did give us a scare,” he said.

Shubin said Jasmine will probably spend another week in the hospital before she is released.