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Florida teen fighting for life after being infected by rare brain-eating amoeba

Florida teen fighting to stay alive after being infected by rare brain-eating amoeba
Florida teen fighting to stay alive after being infected by rare brain-eating amoeba 00:21

Fort Meyers — A Florida teen is fighting to stay alive after, doctors say, a rare brain-eating amoeba got in through his nose and infected his brain.

A member of Caleb Ziegelbauer's family said the 13-year-old went swimming at Port Charlotte Beach Park on July 1, according to CBS Miami.

Five days later, he was in a hospital after he started hallucinating and becoming disoriented.

He's been there ever since.

Doctors believe a rare, brain-eating amoeba swam up his nose.

It's a condition 97% of people never recover from.

His family holds out hope that he can pull through.

"We try not to look at the numbers too much because there are miracles that happen every day and I think we're going to see another one that happens here," said Lesley Cornelisen, Caleb's aunt.

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