Actress Daveigh Chase died at the age of 35 after contracting meningitis and sepsis. Here’s what to know about the life-threatening condition and the symptoms that can signal a medical emergency.
According to Page Six, Chase died on June 16 after developing meningitis and a bloodstream infection that led to sepsis. Eventually, her body began shutting down.
Chase, born in Las Vegas on July 29, 1990, became a household name as a child star. In 2002, she voiced Lilo in Disney’s Lilo & Stitch, and later that year, she starred as Samara Morgan in The Ring, earning an MTV Movie Award for Best Villain.
Chase’s manager, John Ryan Jr., said she was admitted to a hospital for malnutrition before her death, according to the BBC. Reflecting on her life after she quit acting in 2015, he said: “She was the greatest. She loved cats. She worked with cat rescues with us. She was very to herself.”
Her death has also drawn attention to sepsis, a possibly fatal condition that can develop when the body’s response to an infection spirals out of control.
Symptoms of sepsis
Because sepsis can resemble many common illnesses in its early stages, it is sometimes referred to as a “silent killer.” The condition occurs when the body’s response to an infection begins to damage its own organs and tissues rather than protect them, causing the condition to deteriorate rapidly.
The Mayo Clinic explains that symptoms can vary widely, which is one reason sepsis can be difficult to identify. Some people may experience heavy sweating or shivering, dizziness, or unusually fast, shallow breathing. Confusion, disorientation, and other changes in mental state can also be warning signs.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, sepsis can progress to septic shock, a severe complication that can become fatal in a matter of hours. Warning signs to watch for include:
• Peeing less than usual or having strong urges to pee
• Low energy and weakness
• Fast heart rate
• Low blood pressure
• Fever or very low body temperature
• Shaking or chills
• Warm, clammy, or sweaty skin
• Confusion
• Rapid breathing or shortness of breath
• Extreme pain or discomfort
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