Charlotte Figi, Colorado Girl Who Inspired CBD Movement To Control Seizures, Passes Away After Fighting Virus
Note: A Facebook post that initially indicated Charlotte had died from complications of COVID-19 was later edited to remove that reference. We have updated this article to reflect the change in information.
DENVER (CBS4) -- Charlotte Figi, a Colorado girl who was among the first children to be treated with cannabidiol (CBD) to control seizures, has died from complications related to a virus that may have been COVID-19, according to the Colorado Sun. She was 13 years old.
Charlotte's story changed the way people viewed the use of CBD and she appeared in a 2013 documentary by CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
"Charlotte's story directly impacted thousands of families across the globe and has changed the face of cannabis in many ways," The Realm of Caring Foundation, an organization co-founded by her mother, Paige Figi, stated. "Your work is done Charlotte, the world is changed, and you can now rest knowing that you leave the world a better place."
The post initially indicated that Charlotte had the coronavirus but that was later edited out.
An initial test for COVID-19 came back negative, but as Charlotte's condition worsened, hospital staff treated her as a "likely COVID-19 case," BuzzFeed reported.
Charlotte was born with a rare form of epilepsy called Dravet syndrome. With 300 seizures a week, she couldn't walk, talk or eat, and no medications worked. Her family had almost lost hope.
"I was wishing for no more suffering because we had nothing else to try," Paige Figi told CBS4.
Then her family learned about the type of marijuana that's low in THC but high in CBD. Paige began giving Charlotte cannabis oil potent with CBD and her seizures nearly stopped.
The strain of cannabis was renamed "Charlotte's Web" -- and when word spread about how successful it was, desperate families flocked to Colorado.
The Charlotte's Web Medical Hemp Act of 2014 was named after Charlotte.
Last week, Charlotte was hospitalized, for the first time in years, Paige said. She was discharged two days later.
Then, on Tuesday night, family members posted that she had passed.
"Charlotte is no longer suffering. She is seizure-free forever. Thank you so much for all of your love," a family member wrote on Facebook.
If public health officials verify her death was related to the coronavirus, that would make Charlotte the youngest victim of the pandemic in Colorado so far.
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