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Cedar Rapids 8th grader dies of malaria after visiting family in Liberia
Shawn Nupolu, 15, a student at Roosevelt Creative Corridor Business Academy, died this month after battling malaria at the UI Children’s Hospital
Apr. 24, 2023 9:42 am, Updated: Apr. 24, 2023 1:43 pm
CEDAR RAPIDS — Shawn Nupolu, an eighth-grader at Cedar Rapids’ Roosevelt Creative Corridor Business Academy, died this month from malaria after visiting his home in Liberia.
Shawn, 15, was an athlete who played at Metro Youth Football in Cedar Rapids. According to Metro Youth Football, he recently reunited with his family in Africa after eight years. After he returned to Cedar Rapids, he became sick and was taken to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital in Iowa City.
“Despite the doctors’ best efforts, Shawn lost his battle with the disease and passed away,” according to a message on the Metro Youth Football Association’s website.
Shawn most likely contracted malaria while overseas, according to the Metro Youth Football Association.
Malaria is a serious and sometimes fatal disease caused by a parasite that commonly infects a certain type of mosquito that feeds on humans, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those who get it can become gravely ill with fever, shaking chills and flu-like illness. About 2,000 cases of malaria are diagnosed in the United States each year, according to the CDC — the vast majority of which are in travelers and immigrants returning from parts of the world where malaria transmission occurs, including sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.
Counselors are available to support students at Roosevelt, Cedar Rapids Community School District spokeswoman Caitlin Wiedenheft said in an email to The Gazette.
Shawn earned the nickname “cheetah” because he was always the fastest kid on the field, according to the youth football statement. He had several siblings and extended family in Cedar Rapids.
His coaches and teammates remember him as a kind, compassionate, appreciative, humble, hardworking and fun person to be around, according to the statement.
The Metro Youth Football Association is accepting donations to support Shawn’s family, including for hospital bills and other related costs. Contributions can be made online at tinyurl.com/ShawnNupolu.
Comments: (319) 398-8411; grace.king@thegazette.com
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