PARKERSBURG, Iowa — Jade DeLucia made national headlines when complications from Influenza B caused her to go blind just before Christmas 2019.
Though she had a cold, Jade was running around player with her sister. But the next morning, Jade was unresponsive. Her parents rushed her to the ER, where she was then transported to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital.
"For about four hours it was really tough," said Amanda Phillips, Jade's mother. "We weren't really sure if we were going to lose her there. They actually had to have two crash carts in there."
Complications from the flu left Jade's pupils the size of her entire eye.
"At the time I met her, she was in a coma," said Dr. Theresa Czech.
It was a condition called acute necrotizing enceplocothy, which is secondary to Influenza B.
Jade, however, bounced back, and after a couple of weeks of being home was slowly regaining sight.
It wasn't long until she was laughing and high-fiving like she used to do.
"She's such a bright, cheerful girl who's full of love," Phillips said. "And I'm really happy that she's made a good recovery."
Jade has an appointment with an eye specialist to find out what's next in her healing process. Her development will continue to be monitored by doctors.
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