Oakleigh Ryan Nance, an Oklahoma infant born prematurely at three pounds, faces serious kidney problems and recurring bacterial infections. After spending time in a neonatal intensive care unit, she appeared healthy for several months. Her health later declined when she developed a high fever and a severe urinary tract infection that may have reached her kidneys.

Tests revealed stage 3 kidney reflux, a condition in which urine flows back toward the kidneys. Oakleigh’s left kidney, which has two ureters, was reported to have 22% function. Doctors scheduled surgery to correct the reflux and reduce the risk of future infections. Further testing also revealed moderate atrial septal defect and pulmonary stenosis, heart conditions that her family planned to discuss with a cardiologist after her recovery from kidney surgery.

One account says Oakleigh’s infection involved an antibiotic-resistant strain of *Pseudomonas*. These bacteria can cause minor ailments in healthy people but serious infections in people who are ill or vulnerable. They can spread in hospitals and thrive in moist environments. Symptoms depend on the site of infection, and infections that enter the bloodstream can cause high fever, chills, confusion and shock. Treatment can be difficult because the bacteria may resist several antibiotics.

A separate news report says that, at 11 months old, Oakleigh was hospitalized with a critical, antibiotic-resistant strain of *E. coli*. Her family did not know how she contracted it, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was investigating. Her grandfather said her previous exposure to antibiotics had left doctors with fewer treatment options. The family hoped she would overcome the infection before kidney surgery scheduled for the second week of August.

Oakleigh’s family described her as spirited and rambunctious when well. They said their faith and the support of loved ones were helping them through her illness, and they were raising money to help cover her medical expenses.