Rare Flu Complication Leaves 2-Year-Old On Breathing Tube

A 2-year-old Georgia girl is on a breathing tube after the flu triggered Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a rare condition in which the body’s immune system attacks its own nerves, according to a GoFundMe campaign launched by her family.

What’s Happening

Sarah Lopez developed Guillain-Barré Syndrome after contracting the flu, according to the fundraising page created by her cousin, Jailyn Beltran. She is currently hospitalized on a breathing tube and receiving plasma exchange treatments.

What’s Important

Guillain-Barré Syndrome is a rare disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the nerves, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It can cause muscle weakness and, in severe cases, paralysis. The condition sometimes develops after a respiratory or gastrointestinal infection, the CDC states.

The case comes during a severe flu season. Georgia has reported widespread flu activity this year, with hospitalizations increasing across multiple age groups, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.

What We Know

• Sarah Lopez is 2 years old
• She contracted the flu before developing Guillain-Barré Syndrome
• She is currently hospitalized on a breathing tube
• She is receiving plasma exchange treatments
• Her parents are caring for six children total
• Both parents are unable to work while Sarah is hospitalized

What the Family Says

“It’s heartbreaking to see Sarah in this condition, and it hurts even more to watch my aunt and the rest of my cousins struggle alongside her,” Beltran wrote on the fundraising page.

The campaign aims to help cover costs for Sarah’s siblings and provide financial relief for her parents while they remain at the hospital.

The GoFundMe campaign has raised almost $3,000 so far.