Family of teen who died of rare brain-eating amoeba are now begging doctors for answers

The family of a young boy who died after contracting a rare brain-eating amoeba have spoken out about his 'crazy' final days, with experts suggesting the illness is seen in fewer than 10 cases annually.

A North Carolina family are left seeking answers after their 17-year-old son, Moises Ponce Mendoza, tragically died just weeks ago (August 31), after being infected by a brain-eating amoeba.

Speaking in a Univision report, Monica Mendoza, the young boy's mother, has described the enormity of her grief as they beg doctors for answers.

"How am I going to live with this void?" she questioned.

"I come home, and he's not there."

Recalling her son's final days, Monica added: "He started acting like crazy, screaming like crazy and grabbing his head. And I started crying, and I held him and said, 'My son, what's wrong with you?'"

The brain eating amoeba can be fatal if not treated promptly. (Getty Stock Images)

But that was the last time she saw her son conscious, before he slipped into a coma and passed away just days later.

The grieving mom said: "Even the doctors said your son is very loved, because we've never seen a patient have so many people come see them."

His brother, Elmer Aguilar Mendoz, also reflected on the great family loss.

"I wish I could go back in time, hug him, and tell him just how much we loved him. My kids, my nephews loved him very much," he said.

In the weeks since his death, the family have tried to recall where they think Moises could have been exposed to the amoeba, given the extreme rarity of fatal cases.

The brother said: "We always went to many different places to swim. We always loved that. Lakes, pools, many places."

The infection is usually picked up while swimming in fresh water. (ABC News)

But the devastated mother is determined to find out how her son contracted the illness, not only to seek justice for him, but to help protect others from suffering the same fate.

She urged: "Please, pay close attention and do your part to find where this came from so we can protect everyone else."

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services investigation into the matter remains ongoing, recently stating to ABC11 that they have not yet identified the most likely source.

But his death came just days after Lillian Smart, an eight-year-old girl from Louisiana, died on August 22, after being infected from Naegleria fowleri, the scientific name for the 'brain-eating amoeba'.

It was the state’s first confirmed Naegleria fowleri infection since 2013, and officials believe the young girl contracted the illness after swimming in Lake Claiborne.