Tick Causes Paralysis In 5 Year Old Girl

Ticks are responsible for the paralysis of a 5 year old girl! Yes… it’s true! These disease spreading pests have a toxin in their saliva that can terrifyingly cause the inability to walk. In this following article, a mother shares her heartbreaking story of how her daughter has sadly fallen victim to a tick bite.

 Mississippi mom urgently warns parents to check for ticks after daughter suffers tick paralysis

A Mississippi mom is urgently warning parents to be on the lookout for ticks after tick paralysis left her young daughter unable to walk. In a widely shared Facebook post, Jessica Griffin wrote that her daughter, Kailyn, woke up and also had difficulty talking. Griffin took her daughter to the University of Mississippi Medical Center, and doctors performed blood tests and a CT scan to diagnose Kailyn with tick paralysis.

The paralysis is thought to be temporary, but this doesn’t make up for the fact that this is such a terrifying experience for both parent and child.

The paralysis is caused when a female tick bites the scalp or nape of the neck and infects victims with their saliva. This is another reason (to add to a list of many), as to why we need to make sure we thoroughly check for ticks at all times, after spending time outside.

How a tick bite caused a 5-year-old girl to wake up paralyzed one morning

A Mississippi mom said “scary” was an understatement when she woke her 5-year-old daughter, Kailyn, up for daycare and realized the little girl couldn’t walk. “We had a T-ball game the night before and she was perfectly fine,” Kailyn’s mom, Jessica Griffin, told WLBT. “We came home, took a bath, washed her hair and everything and I never saw the tick. She woke up yesterday morning to get ready to go to daycare, and as soon as her feet hit the floor, she fell. She would try to stand and walk but would continue to fall so I thought her legs were just asleep.”

Please, please, please ensure you check for ticks on yourself, your children and your pets and if you find one, remove it carefully and safely. It’s also important to observe the bite after removal of the tick, so that you can identify any symptoms, which could mean a bite from an infected tick. They carry a myriad of harmful and potentially fatal diseases, so we cannot emphasize enough how important it is to keep yourselves safe from these pests.