Noun
a severe disease chiefly of children and characterized by painful inflammation of the joints and frequently damage to the heart valves
Source: WordNetMy dream was to become a ballet dancer, but after a year in bed with rheumatic fever at 13, I had grown too tall, and had no muscle tone left. I tried a ballet class and couldn't even do a plie without falling over. It was my first death. Carmen Dell'Orefice
When I was 11, I spent eight months in the hospital with rheumatic fever and almost died. Rod Carew
I remember when I was very young, I had a fever - a long rheumatic fever in bed for four months. And in the days, I stayed alone with the maid. I only had my father's books with me. They were fantasy books about ghosts, and also books by Edgar Allen Poe that made a forever impression on me. Dario Argento
According to his brother Rudolf, at the age of six or seven Kurt suffered from rheumatic fever ; he completely recovered, but for the rest of his life he remained convinced that his heart had suffered permanent damage. Source: Internet
At the age of eight, Armstrong contracted Sydenham's chorea (then known as St. Vitus' Dance ), an infrequent but serious neurological disorder precipitated by rheumatic fever. Source: Internet
Hough, p. 116. During the birth of her third child in 1867, the added complication of a bout of rheumatic fever threatened Alexandra's life, and left her with a permanent limp. Source: Internet