Toddler left paralyzed from flu-related disorder as mother warns other parents over vaccinations

Sara Lopez developed transverse myelitis, which disrupts the messages sent from the spinal cord to the rest of the body

A two-year-old girl in Georgia has been left paralyzed after suffering a rare condition brought on after she contracted the flu, according to her parents.

Sara Lopez, 2, fell victim to transverse myelitis, a disorder the Mayo Clinic describes as being triggered by influenza and other ailments that target body tissue. According to the clinic, transverse myelitis interrupts the messages sent from the spinal cord to the rest of the body. This can result in pain, muscle loss, and, as happened to Sara, paralysis.

Kenia Lopez, the girl's mother, told Fox 5 Atlanta that four of her six children came down with the flu in December. While children and adults often get the flu and recover without issue, Lopez said Sara began showing strange symptoms on December 19.

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

The family took Sara to a hospital, where doctors diagnosed her with the flu. But the little girl's condition worsened, so the family took her to another hospital — Erlanger's Children's Hospital in Chattanooga — when she began losing the use of other parts of her body.

Sara Lopez, 2, of Georgia, is fighting to recover from partial paralysis after a bout with the flu turned into a rare but serious battle with transverse myelitis (Lopez family)

Sara required a week of intubation, and — though recovering — she still has difficulty moving, according to her mother.

Transverse myelitis causes inflammation on both sides of one section of the spinal cord, which can then disrupt how the spinal cord communicates with the rest of the body.

As in Sara's case, symptoms can include paralysis as well as pain, weakness in the muscles, sensory issues, and dysfunction in the bowel or the bladder, according to the Mayo Clinic.

While the flu can lead to transverse myelitis, the disorder can arise any time infections or immune system disorders attack the body's tissues, according to the clinic.

Most people with transverse myelitis recover, at least partially, but individuals who suffer severe cases can be left with significant disabilities.

Lopez told Fox 5 Atlanta that she opted not to get Sara a flu vaccine this year, and said she hopes other parents learn from her situation and get their children protected.

In the meantime, Sara’s cousin, Jailyn Beltran, has started a GoFundMe to help her family with the two-year-old’s medical bills.

“[Sara’s] parents, who are caring for six children, are unable to work during this time, making things even more difficult for the whole family. It’s heartbreaking to see Sarah in this condition, and it hurts even more to watch my aunt and the rest of my cousins struggle alongside her,” Beltran wrote.

She said that “the funds raised through this campaign will go directly toward helping Sara’s family with the many challenges they’re facing.”

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, 11 million people have been diagnosed with the flu this season. Approximately 130 million have received a flu shot this year, which is down by 13 million when compared to last year