STT. Flu Triggers Rare Paralysis in Two-Year-Old, Doctors Warn of Serious Complications

The house in Calhoun, Georgia, used to wake up each morning to the sound of small footsteps running across the floor.

Six children meant constant noise.

Laughter.

The arguments.

The cartoon soundtrack was playing too loudly.

For Kenya Lopez, those sounds are life.

That’s proof that her children are all healthy.

Safe.

Under development.

Among them was Sara Lopez, the youngest.

At just two years old, Sara is still exploring the world step by step.

Her laughter was gentle yet contagious.

Her curly hair flowed freely as she walked.

The little girl trailed behind her older siblings everywhere, trying to imitate their every move with the determination of a toddler.

She loves being held.

She loves listening to bedtime stories.

She loves the simple comfort of being close to her mother.

In early December, flu season arrives quietly.

It started as usual.

A child came home feeling exhausted.

Another person has a fever.

Then the coughing started.

Within just a few days, four of Kenya’s six children tested positive for the flu.

It’s exhausting, but I still feel like I can get through it.

The fever fluctuates up and down.

The medicine has been given.

The blankets were stacked on top of each other.

Kenia stayed awake all night listening to breathing, counting coughs, and observing the rise and fall of the chest.

She has done this before.

Flu season comes every year.

The children are sick.

The children have recovered.

That’s how things should have happened.

At first glance, Sara seemed no different.

She’s very picky.

Warm to the touch.

Less active than usual.

Kenya gave her an IV drip.

She always keeps her by her side.

She waited.

But by the weekend of December 19th, everything had changed.

Sara cried in a different way.

It wasn’t because of hunger.

It’s not an unpleasant feeling.

It was a cry filled with bewilderment.

Fear.

Kenia noticed that Sara wasn’t reaching for her toy.

The little girl’s hands remained in the same position.

At first glance, it seems insignificant.

The delay.

A tired child is resting.

But many hours had passed.

Sara’s hands didn’t move at all.

Her legs were still weak.

Her eyes followed her mother, but her body didn’t react.

Panic suddenly gripped the room.

Kenya picked up her daughter.

Call her by her name.

Gently shake her hand.

Nothing.

Sara couldn’t lift them.

They quickly took her to the local hospital.

The doctor confirmed it was the flu.

Start intravenous fluid administration.

The monitor has been attached.

But Sara’s condition continued to worsen.

The paralysis spread rapidly.

First, let’s look at the arms.

Next is the leg.

Next is her upper body.

Within just a few hours, Sara was almost completely unable to move.

She could only turn her head slightly.

Her body, once full of life and curiosity, was now silent.

The doctors decided to transfer her immediately.

The ambulance took Sara across the state border to Erlanger Children’s Hospital in Chattanooga.

Kenia sat beside her daughter, watching the machines that replaced her daughter’s breathing function when her own muscles could no longer perform it.

Each mile seemed to stretch on endlessly.

Every moment felt stolen.

At the hospital, the specialists began searching for answers.

Imaging has been requested.

Blood tests have been conducted.

Neurologists were called in.

The diagnosis was made quietly, but the burden it carried was immense.

Sara has been diagnosed with transverse myelitis.

A rare spinal cord disorder.

One possible cause is viral infections, including influenza.

According to the Mayo Clinic, transverse myelitis disrupts the signals sent between the spinal cord and the rest of the body.

The consequences can be painful.

Weaknesses.

Loss of sensation.

Paralysis.

For Sara, that meant complete paralysis.

A two-year-old child is trapped in a body that no longer obeys commands.

Kenia listened as the doctors explained that this was an unforeseen circumstance.

It was not caused by negligence.

Nobody did anything wrong.

Nevertheless, a heavy feeling of guilt still weighed on her chest.

She reviewed each of her decisions.

Every moment.

With each cough, she thought it would eventually pass.

Sara had to stay in the hospital for several weeks.

The machine monitors her breathing rate.

The therapists gently moved her limbs to prevent stiffness.

The nurses spoke softly to her, even though she was unable to respond.

Her siblings visited when permitted, standing quietly by her bedside.

They had never seen their sister sit so still.

Too small.

Too fragile.

Gradually, small changes began to appear.

A slight frown of the finger.

A slight movement in her neck.

Reacting to her mother’s voice.

Each sign was received as a miracle.

Doctors warn that recovery from transverse myelitis can take months.

Sometimes it takes many years.

Sometimes there’s absolutely nothing at all.

It’s impossible to promise a specific timeframe.

No results are guaranteed.

While Sara was fighting for her life, a warning echoed outside her hospital room.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that more than 11 million people have been diagnosed with influenza this season.

Although 130 million Americans have been vaccinated against the flu, that number is down 13 million from the previous year.

Health experts emphasize that the flu season is not yet over.

There are at least two months left.

Dr. Cecil Bennett of Newnan Family Medicine Associates urged families not to wait.

He reminded parents that vaccination can still make a difference.

Prevention is very important.

Rare cases like Sara’s, while uncommon, can have serious consequences.

Sara is expected to be transferred to Children’s Hospital Atlanta for further intensive rehabilitation.

Her journey is far from over.

She is relearning what her body used to know instinctively.

Way to get there.

How to respond.

How can I trust in her muscle strength?

Kenia was always by her side, holding onto hope with both hands.

She often talks to her daughter.

She tells her stories.

Promise her she’s not alone.

In a quiet hospital room, a two-year-old girl continues the fight she never chose.

A war began with the flu.

And that has become a lesson the world cannot ignore.