WRAL report on Legionnaires' disease helps save woman's life - WRAL News

Vaccines for children under 5: Experts answer parents' questions.

Vaccines for children under 5: Experts answer parents' questions.

Wake Forest, N.C.

It comes after Wake County health officials identified three cases of Legionnaires' disease linked to a spa at a Wake Forest hotel

Mary Massenburg said when she first arrived at WakeMed, doctors didn't know why she was so sick

In May, Massenburg attended a pool party at the Clarion Hotel in Wake Forest

"All she wanted was a birthday party at a swimming pool," Massenburg said about her granddaughter's tenth birthday

Massenburg said everything was fine until Monday night

early Tuesday morning, I started getting a fever," described Massenburg

Doctors wanted to perform a tracheotomy on Massenburg, but on the same evening of those discussions her daughter and granddaughter caught WRAL's late newscasts

They learned that the Wake County Public Health Department found three cases of Legionnaires' disease at the hotel where they stayed

Experts later determined the source of the bacteria inside the Wake Forest Clarion came from the hotel’s spa

"Although I didn't see it, that report saved my life," said Massenburg

He received treatment for Legionnaires' disease and has since recovered

A spokesperson for the county health department said the spa was closed and drained, which included cleaning the spa’s water system

WRAL News contacted Clarion Hotel but did not hear back