What Kendra Smith initially thought was a simple ear infection led to her 13-year-old son, Christopher Bryant, needing brain surgery. It’s been an intense and emotional week and a half for Smith and her son.
“It all happened so quickly. It felt surreal and terrifying,” Smith recalled.
Christopher had been enjoying his summer swimming, like many teens. However, he came home one day complaining of a severe earache.
“Initially, I thought it was just an ear infection, but it quickly turned into a severe headache overnight,” Smith said. “The next morning, his eye was swollen shut, and he couldn’t even open it.”
As Christopher’s pain intensified, he described it as an excruciating headache that also affected his ear. “Before we went to the hospital, I could barely talk,” he said.
After an initial visit to a local ER, they were referred to Children’s Medical Center Dallas. “I thought he’d be in and out in a day, but three days later, he needed brain surgery because the infection had spread so severely,” Smith said.
After two surgeries and several days, doctors finally diagnosed Christopher with a severe sinus infection—sinusitis—that had spread to his brain.
Dr. Lasya Challa, part of the medical team, explained, “Sinus infections are common in children, but their complications can be life-threatening.”
In Christopher’s case, Dr. Challa noted that he developed an abscess behind his eye and pus on his brain. “The risk of morbidity and mortality is high if untreated, so we’re very relieved they came in when they did,” she said.
Dr. Challa also warned that signs of a serious sinus infection may include severe headaches, facial swelling or pain, redness and pain around the eyes, worsening drainage, and in rare cases, seizures.
Christopher is now recovering with a tube still in place, and while Smith misses his curly hair, she is grateful for his recovery. “He means everything to me. He actually saved my life,” she said. “He’s my best friend.”
Christopher hopes to be discharged this week.
