A Florida woman was fighting for her life after a devastating chain of events that began with a caring gesture toward a stray cat.
Kennedy Ward knows the exact date her life changed forever: Valentine's Day 2023.
Ward was busy showing a little love to a few four-legged friends from the local neighborhood when disaster struck.
"I was feeding stray cats and had been feeding them for months," she told Newsweek.
"I was distracted and putting their food down on the ground when one of the cats, who we had named Baby, started biting me," she said.
Ward went to urgent care and was given a tetanus shot. She remembers doctors telling her there was nothing to worry about.
However, a few days later, she received a notification that stopped her in her tracks.
"A cat one neighborhood over from us had tested positive for rabies," Ward said. "So we contacted the health department, and they advised us to monitor Baby."
By this point, Baby was beginning to behave erratically. "He started walking in circles, screaming and screeching," Ward said. Within days, Baby had died.
Rabies Is Fatal If Untreated
It is standard practice for anyone who is bitten or scratched by an animal they even suspect may have rabies to seek medical attention.
As the CDC notes, rabies is almost always fatal once clinical symptoms appear, but prompt post-exposure treatment, including vaccination, is highly effective at preventing the disease from developing.
Because it can be difficult to determine whether an animal is infected, health officials recommend erring on the side of caution and beginning treatment as soon as a potential exposure is identified.
Ward knew she had to get the vaccine. What she could never have known was what would happen next.
She went to the health department for treatment.
Taking a Turn For The Worse
In cases of suspected rabies exposure, patients are typically treated with post-exposure prophylaxis. This involves immediate wound cleaning, an injection of rabies immune globulin for rapid protection, and a series of rabies vaccinations.
Ward's treatment did not go according to plan, however.
"I got my first shot and immediately my throat swelled shut," she said. "They gave me medication and took me to the hospital."
Her body's reaction to the treatment initially left doctors baffled. Things would soon get worse.
"We thought I was allergic, so they decided to admit me to the hospital and give me premeds, but the second shot caused my throat to swell shut again. They had to intubate me and put me in a coma," she said.
Over the following weeks and months, the pattern would repeat itself: Ward would be administered medication, and her body would react.
"I had a reaction to every single dose," she said. "I was intubated eight times in three months before they placed a trach [tracheostomy opening in the neck]. Then they would take the tube out and give me the vaccine, but it would happen again."
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During this time, Ward was in and out of comas. Some lasted as little as 24 hours, while others went on for days. On one occasion, she said she was unconscious for about a week.
Ward would end up spending a total of 10 months in hospital. During that time she would eventually discover the cause of her issues. Her swelling was the result of hereditary angioedema (HAE), a rare genetic disorder that causes recurring episodes of severe swelling in different parts of the body, including the hands, feet, face, digestive tract, and airways. Unlike common allergic swelling, however, HAE is not caused by histamine and usually does not cause itching or hives.
A 2023 review published in the journal Advances in Therapy concluded that the disorder is typically caused by a deficiency or dysfunction of a protein called C1 inhibitor, resulting in excessive production of the inflammatory molecule bradykinin and leakage of fluid from blood vessels into surrounding tissues.
A 2026 systematic review of 40 studies published in the International Archives of Allergy and Immunology found a pooled diagnosed prevalence of about 1.7 cases per 100,000 people.
Living With The Aftermath
Up until this point in her life, Ward was unaware she had HAE. Though she is doing considerably better now, three years later, she is still living with the long-term effects of what happened in 2023.
"I have osteoporosis from the steroids I was given. I also have blood clots and lung disease," she said. "I have a common variable immune deficiency, so I practically have no immune system. I had to relearn how to talk and walk, and now I have a brain injury as well as expressive aphasia. Basically, my brain works extra hard to form words when I speak."
Despite those difficulties, Ward is slowly regaining her health and independence. She is finishing a bachelor's degree and working two days a week. When she was first diagnosed with HAE, Ward went online in search of others going through the same experience.
When that failed to yield much of a response, she decided to start sharing her own story online.
"I decided that I would share my story to answer questions and also help others feel less alone," she said.
Every day comes with its own unique challenges now.
"I have to be very careful around others because my immune system is compromised, and I get iron and blood infusions often," Ward said. "I also have to take a very expensive, rare medication that is difficult to obtain and carry it with me everywhere in case of an emergency."
However, with the support of her friends, family, and religious faith, Ward is looking to the future and recently submitted an application to pursue a master's degree.