On Tuesday, April 7th, 2020, thirteen-year-old Charlotte Figi was taken to Children’s Hospital Colorado, in Colorado Springs. Later that day, her mother Paige Figi posted that Charlotte had passed away. Charlotte’s death is tragic, but her life was remarkable. She was in two documentaries and had multiple articles written about her. The Denver Post called her the “best-known patient” at the Realm of Hope. And it was that fame that helped change laws. (1,2)

The Story of Charlotte

From her infancy, Charlotte had what her mother described as a “catastrophic” form of Dravet Syndrome, a type of early childhood epilepsy that resulted in severe seizures. Her family moved to Colorado because of the legalization of cannabis. Charlotte tried cannabidiol, the compound known as CBD, at five years old. The results were remarkable, according to the Denver Post: “Charlotte slept soundly for the first time in years. She went seven days without a seizure. Over time, the seizures dropped from thousands a month to just a few.” After being featured in a CNN documentary, the positive effects of CBD inspired many other parents to try it with their suffering children. Then, states took notice, altering their laws surrounding CBD. (1, 3)

Charlotte’s Web

If you aren’t familiar with CBD or have only heard of it in passing, it’s important to know cannabis is made up of two main compounds: delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol is better known as THC: this is the psychoactive compound in marijuana. THC is why people smoke marijuana recreationally. CBD, however, is non-psychoactive. The cannabis that Charlotte used was a strain very high in CBD, and not intended for recreational smoking. This strain was actually named ‘Charlotte’s Web’ in honor of her. “What began as her story, became the shared story of hundreds of thousands, and the inspiration of many millions more in the journey of their betterment,” says the Charlotte’s Web website. “Charlotte was and will be, the heartbeat of our passion, and the conviction that the dignity and health of a human being is their right.” (1, 4, 5)

Charlotte and COVID-19: A Timeline

March:

In Paige Figi’s April 7th Facebook post, she explains that when March rolled around, “our entire family had been ill for close to a month.” The hospital told them to stay at home and self-treat, only coming in if symptoms worsened. Charlotte’s did. (1)

April 3rd:

“She was admitted to the PICU,” Figi says. On that same day, “she was tested, [and] the results were negative for COVID-19.” (1)

April 5th:

Figi goes on to say that her daughter was “discharged on Sunday, April 5th when she seemingly began to improve.” (1)

April 7th:

Unfortunately, two days later, she had another seizure. Despite the help of CBD, “seizures are not uncommon with illness” for Charlotte. But this one led to respiratory failure and cardiac arrest. The paramedics brought the girl back to the hospital, where, because of the Figi “family’s month-long history with illness and despite the negative test results, she was treated as a likely COVID-19 case.” Despite the best effort of hospital staff and Charlotte’s own tenacity, “her fighting spirit held out as long as it could and she eventually passed in our arms peacefully.” (1)

Charlotte’s Legacy

“Inspiring is a lacking word, as are courageous and vivacious and strong and beautiful. She was divine,” says Charlotte’s Web Memoriam announcement. “Her legacy lives in . . . the fragrance of compassion, in the greenery of nurturing us to be better humans in all ways, always.”
Her mother, the “selfless Paige, both a mother and a warrior, both a human and an angel,” continues on with that compassion. Many mothers might be outraged, at least in the immediate aftermath of such a tragedy, by the hospital. They were initially told not to come in, and, when they did, Charlotte was sent home. But Paige, who seems to be more angel than human, did not use her platform to cast any sort of blame. Instead, she thanked the hospital for “their swift response and the impeccable and compassionate care that we received.” (1, 5)

Our Lesson

We are all battling COVID-19, in some way. Some of us have sick friends or family. We may not have easy access to the services we need. Some of us are dealing with worsening mental health. But let us all be as compassionate and understanding as Paige Figi–and as brave in the face of adversity as Charlotte.