A 5-year-old boy died suddenly while on a family vacation in Oregon after a stomachache progressed to a severe and extremely rare disease. Justin Vu had been in the hospital for five days before his death on July 3. His parents, Terese Peden and Viet Vu, were visiting family in Oregon when Justin began complaining of stomach pain on the fourth day of their trip.
The pain quickly escalated to nausea and extreme lethargy. Peden took Justin to the hospital on July 3, where his condition continued to worsen. Doctors initially suspected appendicitis and transferred him to a Portland children's hospital. He was eventually admitted to the ICU and placed on life support.
Justin was diagnosed with Systemic Capillary Leak Syndrome (SCLS), also known as Clarkson’s Disease. This uncommon and critical condition causes plasma to leak from capillaries into the body’s tissues, leading to severe swelling and a dangerous drop in blood pressure. According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders, fewer than 500 cases of Clarkson's disease have been reported globally since the 1960s. Justin’s parents were reportedly blindsided by the diagnosis of this rare illness.