NEED TO KNOW
A 9-year-old Michigan girl received a rare diagnosis while recovering from the flu
Now, her mom is warning other parents about the “scary and very unexpected complication”
“This completely caught me off guard,” the mom said of her daughter’s diagnosis
A Michigan mom thought her daughter was “turning a corner” amid her bout with the flu — but then she was suddenly unable to walk, leading to a rare diagnosis.
Ashley Geuther’s 9-year-old daughter, Tori, became ill with the flu and at first experienced symptoms typical of the virus, including a high fever, chills and fatigue, per Newsweek. Ashley, 35, told the outlet she made sure Tori got plenty of rest and continued to monitor her.
When Tori’s fever broke after a few days, Ashley believed she was on the mend. “Then suddenly, she started complaining of intense pain in both legs,” the mom recalled.
The pain began in Tori’s thighs before moving down to her calves. As she was still recovering from the flu, Ashley assumed the leg pain was “just normal soreness” from the virus.
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Mother taking a child’s temperature (stock image)
But soon, the pain became so intense that Tori complained of being unable to stand, saying “her legs felt too weak to support her,” Ashley told Newsweek.
She took Tori to a walk-in clinic, but doctors “didn’t seem concerned” and advised Ashley to take her daughter home and allow her to continue to rest and drink plenty of fluids.
The next morning, however, Tori attempted to get out of bed and “took one step and dropped straight to the ground because the pain was so unbearable when she put pressure on her feet,” her mom said.
“That was the moment I knew this was something serious,” Ashley recalled.
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Child in hospital (stock image)
Ashley took Tori to the emergency room, where she underwent testing, including bloodwork and a urinalysis. Tori was then diagnosed with benign acute childhood myositis (BACM), a rare disease that is “characterized by localized muscular pain (especially in the calves) that typically follows a viral upper respiratory tract infection,” according to the National Institutes of Health.
“The illness typically lasts for a brief period of time, usually up to 1 week,” the NIH said, noting, “Since many clinicians are unfamiliar with BACM, it is often misdiagnosed and interpreted as a more severe and complex disease.”
In Tori’s case, the 9-year-old fully recovered — and was able to walk normally again — after a week in the hospital, where she was closely monitored and administered IV fluids and pain medication.
But her mom told Newsweek that her daughter’s BACM diagnosis came as a shock.
“This completely caught me off guard,” she said. “I had never even heard of this kind of complication from the flu before. It was scary and very unexpected.”
Now, Ashley is warning other parents about the rare complication. In a now-viral video posted on her TikTok account, she shared a clip of Tori walking on her toes around her hospital room while holding onto a wheeled cart.
“As flu season begins, please remember to listen to your kids and watch closely for complications,” she wrote in the caption.
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Ashley then detailed what led to Tori’s diagnosis and hospital stay, before concluding: “Thankfully, after a week, she made a full recovery and was able to walk again. I’m sharing our story so other parents can know what to watch for.”
Speaking with Newsweek, Ashley added, “Listen to your kids when they say something hurts, even if it seems unusual. Trust your gut — you know your child better than anyone.”
Read the original article on People