Scarlet fever leads to freshman being diagnosed with heart murmur

By Samantha Sewick

Staff Writer

Different than McCarthy’s congenital heart defect, freshman Donaven DeKuiper’s heart murmur came instantly and changed his life just as fast.

At age 8, DeKuiper was diagnosed with strep throat, which he left untreated.

Progressing quickly, he let it get to the stage where it was now considered scarlet fever.

“Strep throat is a really common disease,” said DeKuiper. “It’s normally harmless with medication. But I didn’t get it cured.”

Letting it progress that far, DeKuiper was forced to face a scary realization: ignoring his symptoms almost proved fatal.

“(Scarlet Fever) is where you get bumps on your chest,” he said. “I didn’t let my mom know. I had thought they were mosquito bites because we had just come back from camping.”

When he finally decided it was time for a doctor’s visit, his doctor had to deliver some terrifying news to DeKuiper and his family.

“I was so scared,” he said. “They said I had 24 hours to live.”

The DeKuipers then had to make a choice about what to do next as his scarlet fever, which affects fewer than 20,000 people in the United States each year, because it had made its way to his heart, which is rare for this fever.

They decided to wait until the next day, where they could go into the Emergency Room to confirm their findings.

“I went to the doctor the next day, and they told me I’d be alright,” DeKuiper said. “I’d just have a little bit of trouble.”

DeKuiper doesn’t let this stop the way he lives his life though.

“I still have trouble running,” he said. “I get winded very easily. My heart rate accelerates. I don’t let it slow me down any.”

DeKuiper may not be running the halls, but he still keeps his spirits high and his smile on. His heart may “murmur,” but his spirit will always be loud.