COLUMBUS, Ga. -- A Georgia mom put her child to bed one night only to find out the 2-year-old couldn't move when she woke up.
Erica Palacio said her daughter is one of the three people in the state who has been diagnosed with acute flaccid myelitis, which is also known as AFM.
Palacio said it started after her four children recently became sick.
"Withing a week and a half, everyone got better except for Abigail," Palacio said. "She got sick. She stayed sick and she actually got worse."
Abigail had a double ear infection, her left long was wheezy and one morning she woke up and her left arm was completely paralyzed.
Palacio said the doctors told her little Abigail had AFM, which many expert describe as a polio-like virus. It affects the nervous system and causes weakness. It can also cause your face to droop and slur your speech as well as affect swallowing and breathing.
Abigail is out of the hospital and is now back home in Columbus. She will continue her recovery through outpatient treatment. Her mom said she just started walking again, but it's not clear if the toddler will gain movement back in her arm.
The Center for Disease Prevention and Control is looking into 155 reported cases across the nation; 62 of those cases are confirmed in 22 states.
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