Mum’s Gut Feeling Saves Daughter After Rare Flu Nightmare Leaves Her Paralyzed

Five-year-old Aurora Burden-Schott experienced every parent’s worst fear—a sudden and terrifying loss of movement in her legs, all because of a rare flu complication. Her mother, Kota, had noticed something unusual: Aurora was tiptoeing around the house, struggling with leg pain. What initially seemed like just another flu turned into a life-threatening condition.

At first, the usual remedies—hydration and rest—seemed to be working. But after a short nap, Aurora woke up unable to move her legs at all. Panic set in, and Kota immediately rushed her to the hospital. Doctors diagnosed her with rhabdomyolysis, a rare and severe flu complication where muscle tissue breaks down and releases harmful proteins into the bloodstream.

“She was struggling walking and complaining of really bad leg pain. I noticed she was tiptoeing around,” Kota recalled. “She was having so much pain in her legs and couldn’t lay her foot flat”, according to the Express.

Aurora’s flu had initially seemed ordinary, with nausea, vomiting, and headaches lasting four days. Then, just as her symptoms appeared to be easing, things took a terrifying turn. “Later on, we had taken a little nap, and when she woke up, that’s when she was unable to use her legs,” Kota said. “She had no motion in the bottom half of her body.”

The situation quickly escalated. “She couldn’t wiggle her toes. It was really scary. It was almost as if she was paralysed from the waist down,” Kota added. Even little Aurora herself noticed something was terribly wrong, telling her mum her legs felt “heavy.”

Rushing her to the emergency room, doctors ran urgent tests, including blood work and an X-ray. The results were shocking—Aurora’s muscle enzyme levels were dangerously high, confirming rhabdomyolysis. This condition, linked to the flu, essentially causes muscles to break down, flooding the bloodstream with toxins that can lead to kidney failure if untreated.

Kota explained, “The virus is attacking the muscles, and they deteriorate.”

Thankfully, quick medical intervention saved Aurora from potential long-term damage. She was immediately put on IV fluids to flush out the toxins, and by the end of the first day in hospital, she managed to move her legs again. “After the end of the first day, she was able to get some movement in her legs. She was able to walk after the second,” Kota said.

After just three days in the hospital, Aurora was finally able to go home. However, doctors believe her recent tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, and ear tube surgery may have weakened her immune system, leaving her vulnerable to this rare flu complication.

Looking back, Kota knows things could have ended very differently. “It could have caused some pretty serious permanent damage,” she admitted.

Now focused on spreading awareness, she urges parents to trust their instincts if their child’s flu symptoms seem unusual. “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,” she said. Aurora is now on the road to recovery, but her story serves as a chilling reminder—flu can be much more than just a bad cold.