LINCOLN, Neb. (KMTV) — It's a state in which no parent hopes to ever see their child.
Yet, one family had to stand by their 4-year-old son's side, as he recovered from Guillain-Barre syndrome.
It's a condition in which the immune system attacks the nerves, often leaving the body paralyzed.
The Miles family shared the story of their son, Jensen Miles, in hopes of raising awareness.
"Jensen started getting sick in May," said Jennifer Miles, mother to Jensen.
Jennifer said Jensen started to come down with a stomach bug she initially thought would pass.
"About a week and a half later, he started saying that his legs were tired," she said. "That's how he described the feeling."
At first, a diagnosis was tough to determine. Only Jensen's symptoms quickly took a turn from bad to worse.
"Until the end of that week when he woke up and wouldn't sit up, he wouldn't hold his head up. He said his arms were tired, it was hard to grasp things, so we took him to the emergency room again," Jennifer said.
Guillain-Barre syndrome is a condition in which the immune system attacks the nerves. This could often be triggered by a bacterial or viral infection.
According to the CDC, it's a rare disorder that impacts around 3,000 to 6,000 people a year.
In Jensen's case, he lost most of his ability to move. It even affected his eyesight.
Although Jensen's family experienced an unsettling scare, he's now on the road to recovery.
The journey took lots of time and patience, as Jensen gradually regained his strength back at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospitals.
"Compared to when he first got here when he was so weak, and couldn't really sit up or move his body, to today where he's walking and reaching and playing," Kelly Bolz, Jensen's occupational therapist said. "Sometimes I have to keep up because he's wanting that toy and he goes to get it now, whereas before I was having to help him or encourage him to do that, so just making huge strides."
Jensen has made tremendous progress and is now learning to walk again.
After spending weeks recovering at Madonna in Lincoln, Jensen was able to go home with his family just last week.
Download our apps today for all of our latest coverage.
Get the latest news and weather delivered straight to your inbox.
