Warning: Two-Year-Old Dies of Brain Infection, Mom Sends Warning to All Parents of Deadly Thing That Killed Her

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“She had purple rashes, splotches all over her body …”

Warning: Two-Year-Old Dies of Brain Infection, Mom Sends Warning to All Parents of Deadly Thing That Killed Her

Two-year-old Plainfield, Indiana, resident Kenley Ratliff loved nothing more than playing outside. But that very love of sunshine and fresh air — along with a very common outdoor risk — ended up costing her life.

One day, little Kenley had started running a fever. Her parents took her to the emergency room twice, where medical professionals suspected she had strep throat.

But to her family’s horror, her symptoms continued to worsen. Her fever spiked, her hands began to swell, and an ugly rash erupted across her skin.

“She had purple rashes, splotches all over her body in an ununiform [sic] pattern, just all over, little tiny purple spots, big purple patches,” family friend Nichol Kirby told WISH. “Just the condition of this poor baby laying there the way she was, it’s a mother’s nightmare, a father’s nightmare.”

That nightmare would only get worse. On May 30, the Ratliffs took Kenley back to the hospital yet again.

Photo source: Jennie Runevitch

This time, the doctors came to a different conclusion: They intubated her, placed her on a ventilator, and began providing her with antibiotics.

Their diagnosis? Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, an illness spread by ticks.

In addition to the distinctive splotches it causes, the sickness can lead to a devastating bacterial infection. Unfortunately for Kenley, that infection attacked her brain.

“Kenley currently has little to no brain activity,” her family wrote as part of a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for her treatment. “Her brain is so swollen, it’s pushing onto her spine.

“She is currently on a breathing machine to stay alive, but she is surrounded by her loving family. We are hoping for a miracle right now for this sweet baby.”

Sadly, that miracle didn’t come for Kenley. Her family made the decision to turn off her ventilator on June 3.

Photo source: David Conn

David Conn wrote:

This morning at 245 am my little granddaughter Kenley Rene Ratliff went to heaven. She fought as hard as any person could. I was with her as she passed, and she looked so peaceful, her tired little body relaxed. Please pray for her mom, Kayla, her dad Stony and her big sissy Aileah. They are going to need all of the love and support they can from everyone. Rest in Heaven sweet baby girl, Papaw loves you and always will.

Though few situations are as horrific as the death of a child, the Ratliff family has decided to use her illness as a force for good. They’re making it their goal to spread the word about the insidious dangers of tick-borne diseases.

Many of those illnesses can present as other sorts of sicknesses. Their symptoms, which include rash, fever, headache, and nausea, can mesh with many other maladies.

That’s why doctors warn parents to regularly check their children for ticks whenever they play outside. Additionally, warmer winters can leader to a larger tick population and greater chance of infection.

“Our goal is to spread awareness of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever in hopes of saving other children’s lives,” the family wrote. “Please continue to spread awareness!”

Doctors at the hospital did everything they could…

Heart Warming Story: Dad Forced to Tearfully Kiss 2-Year-Old Daughter Goodbye after Mom and Boyfriend Send Her to Hospital

If there is such a thing as mother’s instinct, a mom named Sanda Alibabic lacks it. The Slovenian woman, along with her boyfriend Mirzan Jakupi, is now being accused of murdering her own daughter.

Alibabic decided to leave her husband, Senad Kardasevic, last year to be with Jakupi. This left the divorced couple co-parenting their little daughter, Arina.

Photo source: Senad Kardasevic

Meanwhile, Alibabic and Jakupi moved in together, blending their families. A short while into their new arrangement, Kardasevic began to notice bruises on his daughter.

Of course, every child gets bruises from various bumps and such, but these seemed more sinister and deliberate. He reported this to local child protective services but nothing came of it.

Social services were unable to find any evidence of abuse and dropped the case. Unfortunately, the situation soon escalated.

Kardasevic was on his way to visit Arina when he received the worst phone call of his life. On the other end of the line, doctors were telling him that Arina was in the hospital’s intensive care unit.

Her mother, Alibabic, had called an ambulance claiming that the toddler had run into a radiator. But Arina’s broken bones and bruises told a different, much more harrowing story.

Doctors at the hospital did everything they could to keep Arina alive. Meanwhile, they called the police, leading to the arrest of the despicably abusive couple.

Photo source: Senad Kardasevic
Two days later, Arina passed away from her injuries. Her father sat by her and kissed her as the precious two-year-old took her last breaths.

A heartbreaking picture taken of Kardasevic, crying while his daughter lay dying on a hospital bed, tangled in wires, is now shaking the Eastern European country. It is a plea from a desperate father to take child abuse cases more seriously.

Photo source: Senad Kardasevic

Thankfully, Alibabic and Jakupi have both been arrested and are being held in custody. Officials are still investigating the matter, but it is presumed that they will both be charged with murder.

This is a horrible, heartbreaking reminder of the kind of darkness some people have inside of them and the importance of speaking up and being heard if you notice anything suspicious. Be a voice for those who don’t have their own: we need to be vigilant and work together so this doesn’t happen to another innocent child!