PEDIATRIC INTENSIVE CARE UNIT
Rosalie
Diagnosed at 11,
viral meningitis and encephalitis

Rosalie was a healthy 11-year-old with a penchant for playing dress-up and imitating singing star Selena when she began having an on-again, off-again fever. For several weeks, Rosalie’s mother, Nelda, battled the fever with over-the-counter medication. But every time Rosalie’s fever went away, it came back a few days later.

“Occasionally, Rosalie would ask me questions like ‘What day is it?’ but I thought she was joking or being silly,” Nelda says.

After several weeks, Nelda decided she needed help, so she took Rosalie to the local emergency room. While they waited to see a doctor, Rosalie began having a seizure.

“I remember them taking her away as her body jerked uncontrollably,” Nelda says. “It was horrible.”

Rosalie was admitted to the hospital, but after another seizure she was transported to Texas Children’s Hospital, where she was diagnosed with viral meningitis, an infection of the lining around the brain and spinal cord, and encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain tissue. She spent more than a month at Texas Children’s, where her illness caused her to regress to infancy and require diapers, tube feedings and 24-hour observation.

“We waited for Rosalie to wake up and be her normal self, but she just lay there,” Nelda says. “It was really difficult for us to watch.”

As Rosalie’s family sat by her side day after day and night after night, they never lost hope, but they often were fearful and anxious about what the future might hold. Nelda credits Texas Children’s nurses, especially Maricella (Marcie) Vara, for helping them get through the ordeal.

“We were told Rosalie might have brain damage and could be mentally retarded,” Nelda says. “The medical terms and procedures were sometimes very hard to understand, but Marcie would sit with us and help break down the big words and explain what was happening.”

Through the entire ordeal, Nelda spent only one night away from Rosalie’s bedside. She admits it was often exhausting, but she knew she had to be with her child. Vara helped give her the strength she needed.

“Marcie spent a lot of time with me, giving me support,” Nelda says. “She really went above and beyond and made me feel confident enough to go on.”

After several weeks of hospitalization, Rosalie’s illness subsided enough for her to go home. She was put on medication to control her seizures and has made a complete recovery.

Today, 16-year-old Rosalie makes straight As and is active in Sam Houston High School’s ROTC program. She remembers very little about her illness and time in the hospital, but her mother and Vara remember it well. Rosalie and her mother have returned to Texas Children’s to visit the staff several times since her recovery.

During one of their return visits, Rosalie and Nelda gave the nurses silver angel nurse lapel pins to show their appreciation.

“Marcie was such a blessing for us,” Nelda says. “She really made us feel part of the family at Texas Children’s.”