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CLEAR Temp: 68 °F Wind: SSW at 5 mph Saturday, October 12, 2002 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend September 24, 2002 Child may have suffered seizure An upbeat Central Point girl who died Friday had a brain illness seven years ago By MARK FREEMAN Mail Tribune CENTRAL POINT — An almost deadly brain disease seven years ago robbed Sherri Silva of bits of her memory, some learning abilities and her balance, but it never stole her spirit. "She looked about as happy as a kid could look," said Bob Bowers, who knew the 12-year-old just during the three weeks since the sixth-grader started a special education class at Scenic Middle School. "I’d say to her, ‘Hey, Smiley, slow down. You look like you’re having too much fun.’ " But the encephalitis that damaged her at age 5 appears to have played some role in her death Friday after she collapsed in a physical education class, authorities said Monday. Sherri stumbled and fell to the gym floor during a warm-up exercise, then told teachers that she couldn’t see, police and witnesses said. Her symptoms spiraled from there until she was pronounced dead at a Medford hospital less than two hours later, witnesses said. Now investigators believe her condition triggered a seizure, stroke or other traumatic circumstance that led to her death, Central Point Police Chief Mike Sweeny said. "There’s probably no way we could know that until there’s an autopsy report," Sweeny said Monday. "But the conclusion is pretty certain that, because of an existing medical condition, that she stumbled, fell and stopped breathing." Family members were having trouble coming to grips Monday with losing Sherri after her long battle and largely successful recovery from encephalitis, an inflammation of brain matter that can cause several mental and physical impairments. Frank Silva, Sherri’s father, said his daughter had "really blossomed" since joining Scenic’s special-ed program, which allowed her to take mainstream classes such as P.E. and science but get special attention in learning and social skills. "She really had to struggle through life, but she was a super-positive child who was very affectionate and always smiled," said Frank Silva. "Everybody loved her, and I’m not just saying that because she’s my kid." Central Point school officials spent much of Monday helping Scenic students cope with the tragedy, Bowers said. Eight counselors were brought to the school for half-hour meetings with classes so students could get an explanation of what occurred Friday, quell any rumors circulating in town and give kids a chance to talk about their feelings, he said. But they also spent time mourning the loss of a student whose shy but smiley face captured their hearts in less than a month at the school. "If all the kids could be as happy as her, we’d have a different world," Bowers said. Sherri suffered from seizures as an infant and toddler, but the encephalitis attack forced her parents to re-teach her everything — speech, walking and even potty-training, family members said. Slowly, she relearned enough to look and act like every other young girl, despite continued struggles with short-term memory, learning disabilities and trouble with her balance. "She was incredibly brave and wouldn’t let it stop her," said Terri Freeland, Sherri’s godmother. Frank and Teresa Silva fought to get their daughter into Central Point School District’s special-ed program, which allows disabled children to take mainstream courses in which their disabilities would not hamper their progress. She was in such a program in grade school last year, and she showed immense progress socially since she started at Scenic, Frank Silva said. But during Friday’s P.E. class, she was playing tag with other kids when a teacher saw her apparently trip and fall on her own, Bowers said. After initially complaining that she couldn’t see, Sherri began to vomit and developed a weak pulse before her fellow students were ushered out of the gym and rescue efforts began, Bowers said. Sherri was taken to the Rogue Valley Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead. Sweeny said several tissue and fluid samples were taken for analysis during a Saturday post-mortem examination. The exam showed no signs of external injury, such as a blow to the head, that would have triggered her symptoms, Sweeny said. There also was no indication that Sherri was forced to run or be involved in a drill that was beyond her abilities, Sweeny said. "They did everything they humanly could do to give her another shot," Sweeny said. Reach reporter Mark Freeman at 776-4470, or e-mail [email protected] Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright 1997-2002 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy webmaster feedback A D V E R T I S E R S