QUEEN CREEK, Ariz. - As federal officials continue investigating more possible cases of a polio-like syndrome across the country, one valley mom is talking about how this illness has affected her son.
Rochelle Spitzer says her 13 year-old son, Talen Spitzer, had to be hospitalized in August 2016. She says Talen randomly lost control of his left leg and hands.
“He had lost bladder function. He was stumbling a little bit. His left leg had started to lose its function as well,” said Rochelle.
Doctors immediately began treating him, and within days, Rochelle says Talen was able to slowly walk again.
“Continuing through those treatments, he slowly got the leg back and had to relearn how to walk,” added Rochelle.
Doctors would diagnose Talen with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, better known as ADEM. “It causes paralysis. Looking back at it. I feel like they picked the thing closest to it,” said Rochelle.
It wouldn’t be until June this year Talen was diagnosed with the polio-like disease, acute flaccid myelitis, better known as AFM.
Dr. Dan Quan with Maricopa Integrated Health System says it affects the nervous system causing weakness to the limbs and occurs after a viral infection.
“It’s still kind of a mystery. We don’t know what the reason or how it attacks the nerves specifically or the brain,” said Dr. Quan.
The CDC has confirmed 62 AFM cases across the US so far this year, and they’re investigating more than 90 others.
Rochelle sees just how concerned parents are on the AFM community Facebook page she’s a part of.
“I see new members joining all the time, and that shows me that there are more children out there that are having this affect them,” said Rochelle. “We’re hoping that maybe the CDC will do something about it and do some researching or at least funding some research for it.”
For now medical experts don’t have an answer for what’s causing the latest AFM cases.
The CDC says AFM mostly affects kids and to seek immediate help if you see some of the following systems on your children:
- Facial droop/weakness,
- Difficulty moving the eyes,
- Drooping eyelids, or
- Difficulty with swallowing or slurred speech.
For more information visit the CDC’s web page: https://www.cdc.gov/acute-flaccid-myelitis/about-afm.html#prevention