SAN ANTONIO – Regina Ingram-Pope didn't plan to get married in a hospital chapel, but her plans changed after her father suddenly became ill.
"He had fever, he had chills and he had a cough. So we started treating it like he had the flu, but we noticed he wasn't getting any better," Ingram-Pope said.
When her father, Willie Ingram, started having difficulty breathing, the family called for an ambulance.
Willie was rushed to the hospital where his condition worsened.
"Within a matter of hours, I watched my father go from sitting up in bed asking me for his glasses to being intubated and on life support," Ingram-Pope said.
It turns out, Willie Ingram did not have the flu, he had Legionnaire's Disease.
Roger Sanchez, an epidemiologist with MetroHealth, says San Antonio sees up to 20 cases a year.
"We get exposed to it every day, we just don't know it," Sanchez said.
Legionella is actually a naturally occurring bacteria that is found in soil and our water supply. But it isn't dangerous to drink the water -- it's when the bacteria is inhaled in aerosol form and enters the lungs that it can be dangerous.
"The most common thing is when you shower every day, that's where you get exposed to it the most, in your own house," Sanchez said.
Sanchez said Legionella loves warm -- but not hot -- water. If a water heater is not kept at 140 degrees, pipes can be a breeding ground for the bacteria.
But, unless you have an underlying health issue, the danger from exposure is minimal.
"I can guarantee you everyone in San Antonio has been exposed to it at one time or another. But if you are normal and healthy, it's no problem," Sanchez said.
The danger is for those with a compromised immune system, like Willie Ingram, who is also a cancer survivor.
The family still doesn't know where he was exposed to the bacteria. His home was tested, and the results were negative.
But anywhere you find aerosol water, there is the potential for exposure. Misters, saunas and showers can all have the bacteria lurking in the pipes.
The best way to protect someone who has a weak immune system is to keep their home water heater set at 140 degrees, and to not shower or take a sauna in public places where you have no control over the water temperature settings.
Ingram has responded well to treatment, and is improving every day. He wasn't able to leave the hospital for his daughter Regina's wedding, so she brought the wedding to him.