Tick bite leaves 3-year-old girl temporarily paralyzed
Who knew that a seemingly harmless bite from a tick could have such devastating effects on a helpless child?
She was immediately rushed to the ER
Parents Amanda and Lantz Lewis had the shock of their lives after their 3-year-old daughter Evelyn, suddenly woke up unable to move her arms or legs. The immediately feared for the worst, as Lantz had a history of cancer and they were worried that Evelyn might have it too.
She was immediately rushed to the ER, where doctors told them that they've seen the exact same symptoms with other kids around her age, and they were certain that it was because of a tick.
Sure enough, after combing through Evelyn's hair, they found the culprit, a small tick. The doctors immediately pulled off the tick, and reassured her parents that it wasn't the species that caused Lyme disease.
She was back to normal soon after
Thankfully, 'tick paralysis', as the condition is called, is temporary, and once it gets taken out, the paralysis soon subsides. The paralysis is mainly caused by a type of venom in the tick's saliva, which in rare cases can cause paralysis in pets, and in children.
Her parents shared that Evelyn was back to normal the day after, and the only thing she complained of was an itching in her head where the tick had bitten her.
The effects on pets can be fatal
While the effects on adults and childrens can be temporary, the effects on dogs and pets can be more severe, and can even sometimes cause death in some cases. So if you suddenly find your pets stricken with paralysis, you should immediately take them to the veterinarian and make sure to check your family for any ticks so that they can immediately be taken care of.
Amanda Lewis also took a video of her daughter's symptoms and posted them on Facebook, hoping to warn other parents so that they can recognize the signs of tick paralysis.
Watch the video below:
Source: edition.cnn.com
READ: Shocking! Snake bite causes 2-year-old brain damage
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