A two-year-old girl in Georgia has been left paralysed after contracting the flu, which triggered a rare disorder called transverse myelitis. The condition causes inflammation on both sides of a section of the spinal cord, disrupting communication between the spinal cord and the rest of the body.
According to Sara’s mother, Kenia Lopez, four of her six children had the flu in December. While the others recovered, Sara began showing unusual symptoms on 19 December, including difficulty moving her arms. She was initially diagnosed with the flu but later lost the use of other body parts and was taken to Erlanger's Children’s Hospital in Chattanooga, where she required a week of intubation. She is still struggling with movement.
Transverse myelitis can be triggered by infections such as influenza, and symptoms may include paralysis, muscle weakness, pain, and bowel or bladder issues. Most patients recover at least partially, but severe cases can result in lasting disability. Lopez told Fox 5 Atlanta that she had opted not to vaccinate Sara against flu this year and urged other parents to learn from her experience.
A GoFundMe page set up by Sara’s cousin, Jailyn Beltran, aims to help the family with medical bills, as both parents are unable to work while caring for six children. According to the US Centers for Disease Control, 11 million people have been diagnosed with flu this season, and approximately 130 million have received a flu shot – 13 million fewer than the previous year.
