A two-year-old girl in Georgia developed a rare illness caused by the flu that left her paralyzed, according to her parents.
Sara Lopez, 2, has transverse myelitis, which the Mayo Clinic describes as an illness caused by influenza and other illnesses that target body tissue. Transverse myelitis interrupts messages sent from the spinal cord to other parts of the body, according to the clinic. This can lead to pain, muscle loss, and even, in Sarah’s case, paralysis.
The girl’s mother, Kenia Lopez, told Fox 5 Atlanta that four of her six children contracted the flu in December. While children and adults often get the flu and recover without problems, Sara began experiencing strange symptoms on Dec. 19, Lopez said.
“A few hours after she felt uncomfortable, we noticed that her arm was really not moving,” Lopez told the broadcaster.
The family rushed Sarah to the hospital, where doctors diagnosed her with the flu. But the little girl’s condition worsened, so when she started losing function in other parts of her body, the family took her to another hospital, Erlanger Children’s Hospital in Chattanooga.
Georgia’s 2-year-old Sara Lopez is struggling to recover from partial paralysis after the flu turned into rare but serious transverse myelitis (Lopez Family)
Sarah needed to be intubated for a week, and although she recovered, she still has limited mobility, according to her mother.
Transverse myelitis causes inflammation of both sides of one side of the spinal cord, disrupting its communication with the rest of the body.
As in Sarah’s case, symptoms can include paralysis, pain, muscle weakness, sensory problems and bowel or bladder dysfunction, according to the Mayo Clinic.
While the flu can cause transverse myelitis, the disease can occur whenever an infection or immune system disorder attacks body tissue, the clinic said.
Most people with transverse myelitis recover at least partially, but people with severe cases may be left with severe disabilities.
Lopez told FOX 5 Atlanta that she chose not to give Sara the flu shot this year and said she hopes other parents can learn from her situation and protect their children.
Meanwhile, Sara’s cousin, Jailyn Beltran, started a GoFundMe to help her family pay for the two-year-old’s medical expenses.
“[Sara’s] Parents caring for six children are unable to work during this time, making life more difficult for the entire family. It was heartbreaking to see Sarah in this situation, and even more heartbreaking to see my aunt and my other cousins fighting alongside her. ” Beltran wrote.
“The funds raised through this event will go directly to helping Sarah’s family cope with the many challenges they face,” she said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 11 million people have been diagnosed with the flu this season. About 130 million people have received the flu vaccine this year, 13 million fewer than last year