Five-year-old girl left temporarily paralysed from waist down after mum spotted strange flu symptom
A young girl was left temporarily paralysed from the waist down after contracting a complication of the flu.
While recovering from influenza A in late January 2025, Aurora Burden-Schott started to develop serious muscle pains.
The five-year-old was tiptoeing around before waking up with no motion in the bottom half of her legs.
Her mum Kota, 27, from Ohio, US, took her to hospital where she spent three days being pumped with fluids.
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It took Aurora two days to be able to walk again, as doctors said she was suffering from rhabdomyolysis.
What is rhabdomyolysis?
The serious health condition occurs when damaged muscles release proteins and electrolytes into the bloodstream.
"This dangerous muscle condition can result from overexertion, trauma, medications or an underlying health condition," according to Cleveland Clinic.
"Rhabdomyolysis is relatively uncommon. Every year, about 26,000 people in the United States develop this condition."
Symptoms of rhabdomyolysis
• weak muscles
• muscle stiffness
• muscle pain
• a change in your pee colour
Aurora's mum said: "She was struggling walking and complaining of really bad leg pain.
"I noticed she was tiptoeing around.
"She was having so much pain in her legs and couldn't lay her foot flat.
"Later on we had taken a little nap and when woke up that's when she was unable to use her legs.
"She had no motion in the bottom half of her body.
"She couldn't wiggle her toes.
"It was really scary.
"It was almost as if she was paralyzed from the waist down.
"She said her legs felt very heavy."
The girl was rushed to hospital where an x-ray test revealed that her muscle enzyme levels were at 950.
A normal range for a child her age is between 150 to 200.
Kota said: "The virus is attacking the muscles and they deteriorate.
"After the end of the first day she was bale to get some movement in her legs. She was able to walk after the second."
Doctors believe her complication may have been brought on due to her recent tonsillectomy, adenoid removal, and ear tube placement. Thankfully, Aurora is recovering well.
Kota, who works as a nail technician, added: "It could have caused some pretty serious permanent damage.
"It didn't cause any damage to the kidneys.
"She was able to recover great.
"I'm glad I trusted my gut and realized something wasn't right.
"People assume kids are going to have muscle aches when they get the flu."
Anish Vij