Thien Son of Seattle.
Anson lost his ability to speak, suffers from tremors and can't sit up on his own, Son said.
"He cannot respond back. He cannot move his body parts," he said.
But Anson is improving — he started sleeping through the night and his tremors are not as frequent, Son said Sunday. Anson also is starting to recognize people and voices.
"He understood e-mails from school. I can tell by his eyeballs moving along the lines," Son said.
Vaccination recommended
Japanese encephalitis is transmitted by mosquitoes and can cause mild to severe infections, marked by headache, high fever, neck stiffness, coma, tremors and occasional convulsions and paralysis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The CDC recommends vaccination for travelers who will spend more than a month in rural areas during the transmission season, which varies by region. The risk during the transmission season is 1 per 5,000.
Son said he was aware of the disease, but the vaccine was expensive and needed to be done two months in advance; the family planned their trip less than a month before. Anson had three other vaccinations before his trip.
"We took a chance," Son said.
He said it could take Anson six months to a year to recover, although he might never fully recover.
Support at school
Anson's classmates made him get-well cards, and his teacher, Kathie Young, is keeping in touch with the family through e-mail.
"We hope to have him back by the end of the year. We're hoping for 100 percent recovery ... that's what we're praying for," she said.
She said Anson is a hard-working student. "He loves to learn," she said.
Anson's uncle, Sotthia Hout of Lacey, said Anson enjoys typical 9-year-old activities: riding bikes and playing games.
"He's a smart kid for his age. He's conservative around strangers, but outgoing around his friends," he said.
When Anson became sick, his family flew him by air ambulance to a hospital in Thailand. Anson and his father returned to Washington last week, accompanied by a nurse and doctor.
Son said the medical expenses have been hard on the family. The six-week hospital stay in Thailand cost $40,000, half of which isn't covered by the travel insurance he purchased.
Anson has family in the area who are helping, Son said. Anson lived with his grandparents and aunt and uncle in Lacey and has other relatives in South Sound.
Young said the school hopes to have a fundraiser to help the family with medical expenses.
"It's unbelievable what this little boy has gone through," she said.
Diane Huber covers education for The Olympian. She can be reached at 360-357-0204 or dhuber@theolympian.com.
Clutching a toy animal, Anson Son recuperates Sunday with his father and stepmother, Thien and Sophia Son, at his side, at Seattle Children’s Hospital. The Lydia Hawk Elementary School third-grader contracted a rare virus while on a January visit to Vietnam and Cambodia. (Steve Bloom/The Olympian)
How to help
An account has been set up in Anson Son's name at Bank of America to help cover the cost of medical treatment. Donate at any South Sound branch.
Japanese encephalitis
Information on Japanese encephalitis: www.cdc.gov. About 30,000 to 50,000 cases are reported annually in Asia; fewer than one case per year is reported in the United States.
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