7-year-old AZ girl fights for life after getting diagnosed with E. coli

An Arizona mother is urging everyone take the E. coli warning seriously after her daughter got extremely sick.

The Arizona Department of Health Services issued a warning advising residents to not eat and throw away chopped romaine lettuce because of a multistate E. coli outbreak.

Destiny Jarboe from Mesa is shocked to learn her 7-year-old daughter Makayla is fighting for her life.

Jarboe said Cardon Children Medical Center in Mesa diagnosed Makayla with an E. coli infection. She explained doctors told her it’s possible she might have gotten sick after eating a mixed greens salad at a Valley restaurant.

“Very scary not knowing what’s going to happen next,” said Jarboe, who is extremely stressed. “I just don’t want any other parent to have to go through this. You know, like I didn’t realize how serious it was. No one has ever told me that E. coli is life-threatening.”

Wednesday, Makayla had her third surgery. Her kidneys are failing. She can’t talk because she’s hooked up to a breathing tube and doctors have sedated her.

“She’s on full dialysis because of her kidneys aren’t working,” said Jarboe. “The fluid backed up and filled up her left lung.”

Jarboe said she took Makayla to the emergency room the evening of Monday, April 16 because she had diarrhea. She went home the next morning but had to come back a few hours later because of severe stomach pain.

“When they told me E. coli, my first thing was, ‘Oh, she’ll just, you know, have an upset stomach for a few days and she’ll be OK.’ I never knew E. coli could cause this.”

“Don’t ignore the signs if they’re having any sickness, don’t ignore it. Bring them right in… it’s not worth it. Don’t ignore the recall either,” she said.

Jarobe said she and her family went out to eat April 11 or 12 at a Valley restaurant. Jarobe was not aware of a salad recall.

Jarobe doesn’t feel comfortable naming the restaurant until state health officials confirm the strain of E. coli that made her daughter sick.

Right now, that strain is being tested.

Jarobe is a single mom and it’s hard for her to ask for help.

She’s not able to work while her daughter is in the hospital, so her friend made a GoFundMe account for her to help pay for expenses. Click here for the link.