A young girl was struck by a terrifying bout of temporary paralysis, a rare complication of the flu, as her mother Kota spotted early warning signs with her tiptoeing. After contracting flu, five year old Aurora Burden-Schott began suffering muscle pains, leading her vigilant mother to consult a paediatrician.

At first, hydration seemed the answer, yet when Aurora lost movement in her legs post-nap, Kota rushed her to the hospital. Spending three days under medical care and receiving fluids, Aurora managed to walk after two days, a victim of rhabdomyolysis, a rare and severe condition caused by the flu that leaks damaged muscle contents into the blood.

Now on the mend, Aurora is regaining strength while her mother, a nail technician from Lima, Ohio, US, campaigns for symptom awareness of this perilous condition. Recounting her daughter's ordeal, Kota 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."

As for Aurora's flu battle earlier in the year, her mother detailed: "The symptoms first started as typical flu. She had nausea and vomiting and headaches. It lasted for four days. We had two days where it seemed her symptoms were alleviating. I thought we were at the tail end."

Recalling the distressing events, Kota said: "Later on we had taken a little nap and when woke up that's when she was unable to use her legs." The severity of the situation was overwhelming, as Kota described: "She had no motion in the bottom half of her body."

Kota highlighted Aurora's immobility, saying, "She couldn't wiggle her toes. It was really scary. It was almost as if she was paralysed from the waist down."

Aurora even mentioned how heavy her legs felt. In the emergency room, tests including blood work and an X-ray showed dangerously high muscle enzyme levels, resulting in a diagnosis of rhabdomyolysis, a severe flu complication where muscles start to break down.

Clarifying the situation, Kota explained, "The virus is attacking the muscles and they deteriorate.Thankfully, after IV treatment and hospital monitoring, Aurora gained back some mobility. Kota said: " Thankfully, after IV treatment and hospital monitoring, Aurora regained some mobility. Kota revealed: "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."

After only three days post-operation, she was back at home. Medical experts surmise that the recent medical procedures, including a tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, and ear tube insertion, might have compromised her immune system, leaving her open to serious conditions such as rhabdomyolysis.

Kota reflected on the potentially fatal turn of events, "It could have caused some pretty serious permanent damage."

Nonetheless, Aurora is now recovering well, and her mother, Kota, has taken it upon herself to increase public awareness about the risks, encouraging others not to overlook muscle pains as they can be an indicator of the flu. She underscored: "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."