Perry County boy, 4, dies of staph infection

A 4-year-old Perry County boy died Thursday in St. Louis of an untreatable staph infection, the fiancee of the boy's father said.

The St. Louis Medical Examiner's office will conduct an autopsy on Ethan Patrick Williams, Perry County Coroner Herb Miller said.

The medical examiner's office did not return a message seeking comment.

Ethan, who lived at 2157 County Road 628, was the son of Danny Wayne Williams Jr. and Emily Altom. According to court records, the mother was awarded custody and child support in 2002.

Tara Brace, Williams' fiancee, said Ethan was taken to Perry County Memorial Hospital about three weeks ago and diagnosed with pneumonia. He was taken by air ambulance to Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital that evening, where doctors diagnosed the staph infection in his lungs, she said.

He also had a "muscle and tissue-eating bacteria in his leg," Brace said, which was removed in surgery during his first day at the hospital.

The staph infection was "so bad they couldn't find an antibiotic that would kill it. They could only slow the process of it spreading to his other organs."

The last time she and Danny Williams saw the boy, Brace said, he had two tubes draining his left lung and three tubes draining his right lung.

Williams was too upset to talk about his son's death Thursday evening, Brace said.

Ethan's older brother, Holton Wayne Williams, was taken to Southeast Missouri Hospital in Cape Girardeau by the Division of Family Services three days after Ethan was taken to St. Louis, Brace said.

Holton had a staph infection in a sore on his knee, Brace said.

The staph infection in Holton's knee became worse immediately after he was hospitalized, she said. It cleared up quickly once treatment started.

Under Missouri law, a Child Fatality Review Panel must be convened after any death of a child under 18 when the child is in the custody of the Division of Family Services or when there are questions about whether there was a delay in seeking medical attention.

The panel is designed to compile information about the circumstances surrounding the child's death. In the case of Ethan Williams, if such a panel is convened it would meet in St. Louis.

The panel includes prosecutors, law enforcement, the Division of Family Services and other investigative agencies and medical service providers.

rkeller@semissourian.com

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