First Known Rabies Survivor Graduates College.

[rabenson]

Jeanna Giese loves animals. She works with dogs at a kennel in Fond Du Lac, her real love is bats. It's a a fact made all the more strange considering a bat bite to her finger almost took her life 7 years ago.

"I actually love bats now. I have a lot more respect for them, and I have learned a lot about them. I wouldn't mind working with bats," Jenna exclaims.

A bat bit Jeanna at her church back in 2004, and she thought nothing of it. Eventually, she felt like she had the flu, and just kept going downhill. She went to Children's Hospital of Wisconsin, and tested positive for Rabies. Dr. Rodney Willoughby admits the prognosis was grim.

"You have to be realistic. No one had survived before. The fact is this is medically, a very violent disease," he explains.

Doctors had to think outside the box, so they put Jeanna into a coma. After a week, they revived her. She was alive, but paralyzed. Dr. Willoughby recalls, "She sort of led the way. We sort of just rode along with her and saw how she did, and she did great."

Jeanna spent years in physical therapy, including her Sweet 16 birthday. Now 7 years later, she's graduating from college!

"Seven years ago, no one even knew if I was going to go back to school, and I went back, and now I am right where I am supposed to be," Jeanna says.

Today, she works to educate kids about rabies. She also wants to work with bats, and rehab injured animals. "I kinda don't think about it as much now, but sometimes I'll have those days where I will look back and say 'wow' look what I made it through!"

Jeanna graduates from Lakeland College on Sunday. Her first big post-college adventure: Going to the Philippines to do rabies education this Summer.

[**butterflylove**]

Not many people can boast that they have had rabies. Foaming at the mouth could have been an awesome party trick

[Amy]

nice.

[joak]

you can survive that?

good for her i guess. right on.

[Nite]

amazing