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Home Page > News > Chicago attack victim Natasha McShane contracts super-bug

Chicago attack victim Natasha McShane contracts super-bug

Father fears she may lose her life in Irish hospital

By
CATHY HAYES,
IrishCentral.com Staff Writer
Published Thursday, November 11, 2010, 5:42 AM
Updated Thursday, November 11, 2010, 6:59 AM

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Natasha McShane
Natasha McShane



Read more: Natasha McShane attackers charged with attempted murder

Read more: Chicago’s Irish community introduces ‘Natasha McShane Day’

Read more: Natasha McShane’s miraculous recovery at home in Ireland

Natasha McShane, from Armagh, who was attacked with a baseball bat in Chicago this summer may be at risk due to an infection she contracted in hospital in Northern Ireland.
 
The post-graduate student had been flown from the U.S. to Belfast’s Musgrave Park Hospital after having brain surgery.
 
McShane’s father Liam, told the Belfast Telegraph, that he now “feared the worst”.after she got the superbug  He told the paper that he fears his daughter will die from this infection after surviving the vicious baseball attack over the summer.
 
The Belfast Health Trust released a statement saying that it has reduced health care associated infections by 30 percent in recent times and said that it is impossible to totally eradicate them.
 
Natasha McShane, who hails from Silverbridge, South Armagh, was interning in Chicago and working in a bar over the summer. She and her friend, Stacy Jurich, were attacked by Heriberto Viramontes (30) while his girlfriend Marcy Cruz (25) waited in the get-away van.
 
McShane and Jurich were both beaten with a baseball bat. Jurich recovered quickly from her injuries but McShane was beaten around the back and head and was left in a coma for weeks.
 
She was eventually flown back to Belfast, when she regained consciousness, to undergo a crainioplasty procedure.
 
When she was transferred from Chicago back to Ireland the doctors at the Rehabilitation Institute in Chicago said "no medical necessity existed to keep her in Chicago.”
 
McShane had begun to walk, eat and speak again but still her prognosis was not definitive. The Chicago doctors said “Her peripheral vision continues to remain impaired and her cognitive function and speech require long and intensive rehabilitative therapy. Her doctors still maintain that her final prognosis is uncertain."
 
Heriberto Viramontes (30) and Marcy Cruz (25) remain in custody pending their trial for attempted murder, as well as 24 other charges.


Read more: Natasha McShane attackers charged with attempted murder

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8 Comments

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rorschach | Nov 13, 2010, 01:46 PM EST
I have followed this sad story from the beginning and contributed toward the charitable fund and all my prayers continue to go to Natasha and her family. May God save and protect her. I wonder if her attackers can be charged with murder if she were to die? Her injuries and subsequent illnesses are certainly related. But my devout prayer is that this point is moot. May Natasha recover from this illness and continue with her recovery.

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seosiamh | Nov 12, 2010, 03:39 PM EST
I am in contact with Natasha's Mother and Father, they are neighbors of mine, I also helped to run the benefit in Chicago and I pray regularly and have done since I can remember. I put in a very worrying day yesterday and so did a lot of other people thinking the worst, until I called my family and also spoke with Natasha's Mother. If caring about people worrying, because of wrong information makes me a bad person, then thats me !!! Joe McShane, from Silverbridge, Co Armagh

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forflann | Nov 12, 2010, 02:14 PM EST
Joe so who are you in contact with in Ireland to know the true condition of this young lady? What ever the case she needs our prayers. I know I prayed for her last night, and Im not a really prayerful person. Its sad most of us only reach out to God in times of trouble.

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seosiamh | Nov 12, 2010, 09:14 AM EST
Why don't you remove this story, it worried a lot of people yesterday. She does not have an infection now, that happened back in June. Joe McShane. Chicago

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peterpan25 | Nov 11, 2010, 10:31 PM EST
My name is Cindy Reilly and my son Jack Reilly stayed at the RIC in Chicago at the same time as Natasia. Jack and Natasia met each other at RIC and I spoke with her parents who were extremely wonderful caring people. Remember the word BELIEVE which we used for my son Jack who had a brain injury. We are all believing in Natasha and pray that she will fight this infection. Cindy and Jack Reilly Roselle, IL

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forflann | Nov 11, 2010, 09:36 PM EST
I would hope the health system can obtain the drug interferon for Natasha. I have seen this used in an expermental setting oncemany years ago,and it was incredable the results. I hope we will all pray for her recovery! After all she has suffered as an innocent person from the animals who attacked her.

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ironbed | Nov 11, 2010, 04:28 PM EST
Sad, sad news. This young girl has gone through so much.

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irishfez | Nov 11, 2010, 01:45 PM EST
This is so sad, I thought she improved?

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