white female deaths from rare disease

Gillian Skylar Lott, age 21, went to be with her Savior, Jesus Christ, on March 8th 2023 after a long battle with Lyme disease and the effects of it. Gillian was born on April 10, 2001 to her parents Dale and Shaa Lott in Nashville, TN.

Gillian was the light of her family and friends’ lives. Everyone loved her. She was kind, beautiful, caring, passionate and amazingly talented at anything she tried.

She was a musician with the voice of an angel and could play any instrument she put in her hands. She was also an artist who enjoyed writing, drawing, painting and making beautiful things for people to help them through their struggles. She would give her all to help anyone or anything, anytime. She loved animals and frequently rescued and loved on animals that needed help. Gillian was deeply rooted in her faith, often sending Bible verses to others in need to help them through life’s burdens.

Abby was initially on a ventilator but has since been able to breathe on her own. However, pneumonia and a staph infection have slowed her recovery.

After numerous tests, Abby was diagnosed with Acute Necrotizing Encephalopathy of Childhood, a rare life-threatening brain disease.

“She's literally one in a million, is what they've said to us,” said Casey.

Casey says genetic testing ruled out hereditary factors for the disease. Her parents say doctors believe the brain illness was brought on by H1N1.

Her parents don’t know where Abby could have caught H1N1 in Windsor.

Carotid artery dissection is a separation of the layers of the artery wall in the carotid arteries supplying oxygen-bearing blood to the head. It is the most common cause of stroke in younger adults.[1] The term 'cervical artery dissection' should also be considered in the context of this article.[2]

The carotid arteries are a pair of large bore arteries in the neck, they further divide into smaller vessels, the external and internal carotids on both the right and left side of the head/neck.[3] Carotid arterial dissections occur when a tear or rip in the layers of the carotid arterial wall allows blood to flow between the layers of the artery. Artery dissection is not unique to the carotid artery system and can happen in numerous arteries in the body.

Blood within the walls of a dissected artery can compromise the flow of blood, leading to a slowing of oxygenated blood flow to the brain, complete blockage, or clot creation inducing a full blown stroke.[4]

Dissection may occur after direct physical trauma, traffic collision, strangulation, or any phenomenon that causes hyperextension of the neck. They can also happen spontaneously.[5][6]

Causes
Dissection in ultrasound

The causes of carotid artery dissection can be broadly categorized into two classes: spontaneous or traumatic.[10]
Spontaneous

Once considered uncommon, spontaneous carotid artery dissection is an increasingly recognized cause of stroke that preferentially affects the middle-aged.[11][12]

The incidence of spontaneous carotid artery dissection is low, and incidence rates for internal carotid artery dissection have been reported to be around 2.6 to 2.9 incidents per 100,000.[13] Though the incidence is low - it is the cause of the vast majority of strokes in young people.[14]

Observational studies and case reports published since the early 1980s show that patients with spontaneous internal carotid artery dissection may also have a history of stroke in their family and/or hereditary connective tissue disorders, such as Marfan syndrome, Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, pseudoxanthoma elasticum, fibromuscular dysplasia, and osteogenesis imperfecta type I.[15] IgG4-related disease involving the carotid artery has also been observed as a cause.[16]

However, although an association with connective tissue disorders does exist, most people with spontaneous arterial dissections do not have associated connective tissue disorders. Also, the reports on the prevalence of hereditary connective tissue diseases in people with spontaneous dissections are highly variable, ranging from 0% to 0.6% in one study to 5% to 18% in another study.[15]

Internal carotid artery dissection can also be associated with an elongated styloid process (known as Eagle syndrome when the elongated styloid process causes symptoms).[17][18]

Pathophysiology

Arterial dissection of the carotid arteries is a condition that arises when a small tear forms in the innermost lining of the arterial wall, known as the tunica intima. This tear allows blood to enter the space between the inner and outer layers of the vessel, leading to either narrowing (stenosis) or complete occlusion. Notably, the stenosis in the early stages of arterial dissection is a dynamic process, and some occlusions can quickly transition back to stenosis. When complete occlusion occurs, it can result in ischemia, a condition characterized by insufficient blood supply to a particular area.[25]

It is interesting to note that even in cases of complete occlusion, symptoms may not always be evident due to the presence of collateral circulation, which helps to adequately perfuse the brain. However, complications can arise when blood clots develop at the site of the tear and subsequently break off, forming emboli. These emboli can then travel through the arteries and reach the brain, where they may block the blood supply. This blockage leads to an ischemic stroke, also known as a cerebral infarction.[26] In fact, it is believed that blood clots or emboli originating from the dissection are responsible for causing infarctions in the majority of cases involving strokes in the presence of carotid artery dissection.[27][28]

Cerebral infarction, as a result of carotid artery dissection, can cause irreversible damage to the brain. Studies have demonstrated a significant number of patients with dissections do go on to experience full blown strokes, often some time after the original dissection event.[29][30] This emphasizes the serious and potentially life-altering consequences associated with this condition.
Treatment

The goal of treatment is to prevent the development of an actual stroke or limit the continuation of neurologic deficits should a stroke occur after dissection. Treatments include observation, anti-platelet agents, anticoagulation, stent implantation, carotid endarterectomy, and carotid artery ligation.[10][31]
Epidemiology

Carotid dissections events can occur at any age. They tend to occur more often in younger individuals - under 50. Such events are slightly more common in men than in women.[32] Spontaneous internal carotid artery dissection is a rare event with an incidence rate of approximately 2.6 to 2.9 per 100,000 individuals. However, such events account for ~5% to ~22% of strokes in patients under the age of 45 years.[33]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carotid_artery_dissection

Paysley was born October 17, 2008, in West Jordan Utah. Our beloved daughter, granddaughter, sister, niece, and friend Paysley Boothe passed away July 5, 2022, surrounded by her mother and Father Sam and Thecia Boothe, Sister Primrose and Brother Hunter.
Paysley was born with a broken heart, but she came with a zeal for life and a fighting spirit. Being born with a hypoplastic right heart (half a heart); as a result, she experienced life overcoming many health challenges including cancer at 12 years old. Paysley faced each challenge with grace and fortitude and a great desire to overcome every health issue placed in her life's journey.