Georgia toddler paralyzed by rare flu complication as CDC warns of rising cases

Georgia toddler paralyzed by rare flu complication

A 2-year-old girl from Calhoun remains hospitalized nearly three weeks after a flu diagnosis led to a rare condition that left her paralyzed.

CALHOUN, Ga. - A 2-year-old girl from Calhoun remains hospitalized nearly three weeks after a flu diagnosis led to a rare condition that left her paralyzed.

Girl battles flu, rare paralysis

What they're saying:

Sara Lopez is expected to be transferred to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta in the coming days to continue her recovery from transverse myelitis. According to the Mayo Clinic, the disorder can be triggered by the flu and interrupts the messages spinal cord nerves send to the body, resulting in pain, muscle weakness, and paralysis.

The girl’s mother, Kenia Lopez, said four of her six children caught the flu last month. However, Sara began showing unusual symptoms the weekend of Dec. 19.

"After a few hours of her being uncomfortable, we noticed that she really wasn’t moving her arms," Lopez said.

The family initially took Sara to a local hospital where the flu was confirmed, but her condition deteriorated rapidly. They rushed her to Erlanger’s Children’s Hospital in Chattanooga as the paralysis spread.

"She couldn’t move at all, she could just move her head a little bit, she was completely paralyzed," Lopez said.

The diagnosis required the toddler to be intubated for over a week. While she is no longer intubated, her mother says she is still struggling to move. Lopez noted that Sara had not received a flu vaccine this year and hopes her daughter's story serves as a warning to others.

"The support that we’ve received is kind of what has kept me going, because if it wasn’t for that, I tell myself every day, this is not something anybody would be able to deal with," Lopez said.

How long does flu season last?

Dig deeper:

The case comes as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 11 million people have been diagnosed with the flu this season. While 130 million people have received a flu shot, that figure is down by 13 million compared to last year.

Medical experts say the season is far from over.

"Unfortunately, we still have about two more months of flu season that we have to go through," said Dr. Cecil Bennett of Newnan Family Medicine Associates. "So it's not too late to get the flu shot."