Aarin McGuire, a senior at a local Arlington High School was getting ready to graduate this year. She had been volunteering at a local elementary school to help prepare her for her life’s dream of becoming an English Teacher in the public school system. However, nothing could have prepared her for this.

Aarin was encouraged to go home early on Thursday, February 28, 2008 because she wasn’t feeling well. According to her father, she had strep throat, for which it was unclear whether she was being treated. By Saturday, her symptoms had worsened and she was ordered into a hospital. By Sunday, Aarin had died of kidney failure as a direct result of Toxic Shock Syndrome.

Toxic Shock Syndrome, or TSS, is a rare but treatable disease, often attributed to female menses, tampon-use and surgery. It is a medical emergency and should be treated as such if fever or a rash present themselves in conjunction with menses, tampon use or post-surgical procedures, especially female surgeries such as abortions.

If left untreated, or misdiagnosed, the prognosis is often fatal, as can be seen in this story.