CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. — It’s the story of survival that Southwest Florida has been waiting a year to hear.
Now 14, Caleb Ziegelbaur is sitting down to interview with ABC7. The Port Charlotte teen beat a brain-eating amoeba. The CDC reports Naegleria fowleri is 97% fatal.
Caleb’s mom argues that number is even higher. She said there are problems with the reporting process, and believes the true mortality rate is near 99%.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Port Charlotte teen fighting for his life in hospital
“I have come so far and yet I have a lot of progress,” Caleb said to his mom today.
“It’s been one year since you were sick. We didn’t even know this time last year, we didn’t even know it was happening,” Jesse Ziegelbaur said. “I had no idea what our life was going to turn into.”
On July 1 their family went swimming at Port Charlotte Beach. Six days later, Caleb was starting to get headaches and a fever. On July 9, he was rushed to Golisano Children’s Hospital.
“It was an hour drive and he deteriorated rapidly,” Jesse recalled.
Doctors ran many tests. Although some came back inconclusive, doctors believe the then 13-year-old was infected by a brain-eating amoeba, Naegleria fowleri.
“The neurologist came in and told us four days, you have four days with your son,” Jesse remembered.
She never let that prediction shake her faith. For eight months, the Ziegelbaurs battled the amoeba from hospital rooms where Caleb was minimally conscious at times.
“He did tell me that he heard me talking to him,” Caleb’s mom, Jesse, said. “Caleb if you can hear me come back. And what’d you do? You came back.”
Caleb is a walking miracle. He is able to stand up, laugh and make jokes.
“He saw that doctor last week and he said I just want to tell you this is the longest four days of my life,” Jesse and Caleb explained together today.
They laughed remembering how the doctor told them, she was never happier to be wrong.
The road to recovery is constant for Caleb. He came back from intensive rehab in March. He can stand, laugh and somewhat speak. Today he showed us just how much we can communicate through facial expressions.
“I can talk with my eyebrow,” Caleb said.
“He went five months without any talking so we had to — his face didn’t move for a very long time so as it woke up he would talk with those eyebrows,” Jesse laughed.
For someone whose been through so much at such a young age, Caleb’s strength and perseverance are no less than incredible. He’s now taking his story and sharing it with others to hopefully prevent anyone else from going through what he did.
“Cause Naegleria fowleri is over 99% fatal but 100% preventable,” Jesse said.
Her family bought a box of nose plugs to hand out at the Freedom Swim across Charlotte Harbor Tuesday. Caleb is adamant about spreading the warning of the simple step required to stop the spread of this amoeba.
“Stop, plug, then play. A 25-cent piece of plastic can save your life,” the Ziegelbaurs said.
As for Caleb’s future, he has a plan for that too. He wants to be an epidemiologist.
“I was going to find the cure for Covid but now I am going to find the vaccine for Naegleria fowleri,” Caleb said with a smile.