Scarlett's Story of Hope: Triumph over E.Coli Infection

Brenna Wood, mother of Scarlett, her 3-year-old survivor, will say it again and again: trust your gut. 

Scarlett was 17 months old when an E. coli infection took hold of her body, bringing her to the brink of death. One minute she was a happy, thriving baby, scampering down the sidewalk in her Northshore community; the next she was coding in a New Orleans hospital. Her parents, Brenna and John, watched in utter shock as the medical team performed CPR, pounding on her chest for two hours and 36 minutes, long enough to connect her to a heart bypass machine that would keep her alive. Scarlett was revived 42 times that day. Brenna and John never gave up hope. 

“Two hours and 36 minutes,” said Brenna. “It was the longest minute of my life.” 

Although Scarlett survived the initial trauma, her journey would be anything but easy. MRIs painted a grim picture of what the Woods faced. Scarlett had sustained severe kidney damage and moderate-to-severe brain damage. She was placed on dialysis and a ventilator. Doctors gave her a 2 percent chance of recovering kidney function, and due to the damage to her brain, she was moved to the bottom of the list for a kidney transplant.  

After 28 days, her initial medical team all but surrendered care of Scarlett, but the Woods refused to concede and reached out to anyone who could help. They soon found the relief they were looking for when minutes later, the Manning Family Children’s transport team arrived to carry Scarlett to safety.  

“Hope is what meets you in the darkness when there’s nothing left,” said Brenna. “We were very glad we hung onto hope.” 

Beyond exhausted from the trauma she endured, Scarlett slept for three days in the pediatric intensive care unit at Children’s, where she found rest and the Woods found reassurance. Miraculously, a blue line soon appeared on Scarlett’s diaper, and she began to lose the massive amounts of fluids that had accumulated in her tiny body. Scans of her bladder showed that Scarlett no longer needed dialysis. Her kidneys being only half the battle, she was presented with a new challenge of recovering brain function. Slowly and steadily, Scarlett’s paralysis abated, and through several weeks of rehabilitation, she gained the strength to relearn how to function. From moving her limbs to learning how to swallow again, Scarlett defied the odds. And though doctors predicted she may never walk on her own again, Scarlett strode out of Manning Family Children’s 76 days after her infection took hold. 

Today, Scarlett continues to meet all her milestones and has reclaimed her title of Queen of the sidewalk, running, jumping, and soaring on her scooter to keep up with her big sister, Stella.