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In a recent news article by Catherine Tsai in the Associated Press entitled "7 Year Old Colorado Girl Recovers Bubonic Plague", Tsai informed her readers of a young girl who was reportedly diagnosed with a rare, but infamous disease called the Black Plague.


Sierra Downing, a seven year old girl from Colorado, went on a camping trip where she supposedly came in contact with a dead squirrel, which was carrying the disease. According to Downing's mother, Sierra's sweater was on the ground near the squirrel and later tied around her torso, where insect bites were found later on by the doctors.


The Black Plague was a wide-spread epidemic in the 14th century that resulted in the death of one third of the European population. The Black Plague, or black death, is a flea-borne disease that was carried through rats on trading ships. With no previous experience with this sort of illness, the late European people suffered a great loss. Now, with the current medical advances we've achieved, the chances of getting the black death are very slim.


Sierra Downing was not so lucky, as she came across a deceased squirrel infected with the disease. Sierra was overcome with fever, high heart rate, and seizures not long after. Along with those symptoms was low blood pressure and a swollen lymph node in her left groin.


This article caught my attention because I have learned about the Black Death recently in my medical classes. It was a huge epidemic many centuries ago and seeing it diagnosed only a couple months ago was interesting.


Thanks to the persistent doctors, Sierra Downing received the help she needed before anything disastrous occurred. According to Dr. Jennifer Snow, "if she had stayed home, she could've easily died within 24 to 48 hours from the shock of infection."

In a recent news article by Catherine Tsai in the Associated Press entitled "7 Year Old Colorado Girl Recovers Bubonic Plague", Tsai informed her readers of a young girl who was reportedly diagnosed with a rare, but infamous disease called the Black Plague.


Sierra Downing, a seven year old girl from Colorado, went on a camping trip where she supposedly came in contact with a dead squirrel, which was carrying the disease. According to Downing's mother, Sierra's sweater was on the ground near the squirrel and later tied around her torso, where insect bites were found later on by the doctors.


The Black Plague was a wide-spread epidemic in the 14th century that resulted in the death of one third of the European population. The Black Plague, or black death, is a flea-borne disease that was carried through rats on trading ships. With no previous experience with this sort of illness, the late European people suffered a great loss. Now, with the current medical advances we've achieved, the chances of getting the black death are very slim.


Sierra Downing was not so lucky, as she came across a deceased squirrel infected with the disease. Sierra was overcome with fever, high heart rate, and seizures not long after. Along with those symptoms was low blood pressure and a swollen lymph node in her left groin.


This article caught my attention because I have learned about the Black Death recently in my medical classes. It was a huge epidemic many centuries ago and seeing it diagnosed only a couple months ago was interesting.


Thanks to the persistent doctors, Sierra Downing received the help she needed before anything disastrous occurred. According to Dr. Jennifer Snow, "if she had stayed home, she could've easily died within 24 to 48 hours from the shock of infection."

I love fashion and makeup.
I like to ride bikes, play tennis, and sketch.
I am an avid reader.
I can speak fluent Spanish and work as a translator.
I like a variety of music and love watching movies.
I wish I could dance.
And sing well.
I am a Potterhead.
I think, I may possibly spend too much time on the computer.
I'm kind of weird.
I love food.
I would like to become a psychologist.
I'd like to learn Italian, then French.
I'm nervous about the future.
On that note, I worry too much.
My birthday is May 15th.
I have traveled half way across the world to Europe and I want to go back.

Blog for English 11 - Mrs. Gillmore.

"English grammar is so complex and confusing for the one very simple reason that its rules and terminology are based on Latin, a language with which it has precious little in common." -Bill Bryson.