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Indiana teen survives septic shock from common bacteria

A case of strep throat turned into a life-threatening situation for Charlotte Vinson, who is set to play volleyball at Indiana University.

YORKTOWN, Ind. — Charlotte Vinson is a star on the volleyball court.

The soon-to-be senior at Yorktown High School has already committed to playing collegiate ball at Indiana University starting in 2026.

It's a sport she said she's played since she was a little girl.

This summer, however, Charlotte hasn't been on the court in weeks.

In mid-May, she was sick with what her family thought were common symptoms of strep throat.

"Sore throat, body aches, fever," Charlotte said.

Her parents, Erin and Phil Vinson, said Charlotte got worse overnight, so they took her to the doctor the next morning.

"At the office, I was blacking out a little bit. I've never blacked out when I'm sick," Charlotte said.

Doctors at Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie decided Charlotte needed to be airlifted to Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis.

"I remember being on the roof off the helicopter, and that's it," Charlotte said.

Credit: Erin Vinson
Charlotte Vinson was airlifted to Riley Hospital For Children after a case of strep throat worsened.

Erin said she knew Charlotte's condition was not improving when a Riley doctor called before the Vinsons even made it to Indianapolis.

"I need to sedate her, and I need to intubate her and get her on a ventilator even before you arrive,'" the doctor said to Erin. "That was tough. That was really scary."

Within hours of her original doctor's appointment, Charlotte's body was quickly deteriorating. Her organs were shutting down.

"Her heart kept getting worse and worse, and her heart function was not able to sustain her body," said Dr. Alvaro Tori, at Riley's Intensive Care Unit.

Charlotte was placed on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, a machine that takes over heart and lung function. She would stay there for eight days.

Erin said her typically healthy teenager was also on a ventilator and dialysis.

"She was supported with 10 to 12 medications at that point, antibiotics included," Erin said.

"There were a couple scary moments during all that that we thought we were going to lose her," Phil said. "The helpless feeling — you cannot help your daughter."

"She was very, very sick, and we were very worried about her," Tori said.

Credit: Erin Vinson
Charlotte Vinson was airlifted to Riley Hospital For Children after a case of strep throat worsened.

The sudden and rapidly developing diagnosis was toxic shock syndrome caused by an invasive strain of Strep A, according to Tori. Her body was in septic shock.

"Here I was, looking at my healthy 16-year-old daughter on three life-support machines and multiple medications," Erin said.

Typically, Strep A is a common bacteria, according to Tori.

"Recently, we have seen a higher number of patients who have this invasive strain," Tori said.

Charlotte was under the care of nurses and doctors 24 hours a day, in the room with her at all times.

"I was really upset," Charlotte said. "I was like, 'Why did this happen to me? What did I do?' On the other hand, 'Why did I survive this?'"

Credit: Erin Vinson
Charlotte Vinson is a star volleyball player at Yorktown High School.

After nearly two weeks, Charlotte slowly started speaking, eating and moving again.

A team of therapists worked with her daily, she said. Music therapy was one of her favorites.

"The lyrics and everything really touched me," Charlotte said. "It really helped me get my emotions out."

Mom, by her side every day, had her own way of keeping track of the progress.

"I wrote in a journal every day," Erin said.

"Someone who also kept me going was my grandma, who passed away earlier this year," Charlotte said. "Just thinking about her, I had to keep going for her."

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The Vinsons said their other two children played a major part in Charlotte's recovery, too.

"They were amazing through this as well," Erin said. "Charlotte would light up when they came in. She wanted to hold their hands. If they were in the room, it didn't matter who else was there. She wanted to see her sister and her brother, so that was pretty special to say."

Meanwhile in Yorktown, hundreds of prayer warriors had gathered, made signs, wore green, and sent well wishes to the Vinsons.

"We had some pretty amazing friends throughout this whole process," Phil said. "Just the support they gave us was unbelievable."

Credit: Erin Vinson
Charlotte Vinson's classmates Yorktown High School have supported her during her recovery.

A banner, still hanging near the schools reads "Prayers for Charlotte" with dozens and dozens of signatures.

"Relationships matter," Erin said.

Now, Charlotte is back home, but her recovery continues. Monitoring her heart and building strength are two of her priorities.

"I did lose so much," Charlotte said. "Laying there for a month, you're going to lose a bunch of muscle and weight."

As the Vinsons continue to process what they've experienced, they remind other families to pay attention to the people they love.

"Recognizing that sepsis is something that happens, and it can happen to people who are young and healthy," Erin said.

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"Know your body well," Charlotte said. "Because a lot of people don't, and not being afraid to be like, 'Hey, this is wrong. I do need help.'"

As a doctor herself, Erin said she doesn't want other parents to question themselves in a similar situation.

"Could I have done more?" Erin asked. "Should I have done more?"

Tori said there is no vaccine that can prevent Strep A nor its invasive strains. However, he recommends families practice good hygiene, stay up to date on other vaccines, and take good care of wounds or cuts to avoid getting sick.

"Give your kids a bigger hug next time you're around them, and tell them that you love them. That's very important," Phil said.

"I hope that, soon enough, I can see her play volleyball again," Tori said.

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