One Mom's Social Media Post Helps Another Diagnose Her Son's Rare Illness

One mom’s mission to make the world aware of a rare illness that afflicted her child has been credited by another mother who recently happened to save her own child’s life with the reference.

Rachel Scott, a mother of five from Texas, created a page on Facebook titled ‘Team Braden Luke’ about a couple of years ago when her then 5-year-old son Braden was diagnosed with a rare condition called Acute Flaccid Myelitis (AFM) which affects the nervous system.

Braden who had suffered from the common cold, soon afterward found it difficult to walk and swallow food. He then eventually stopped breathing and needed intubation. They rushed him to Houston where Braden was diagnosed with the condition.

Since Braden’s diagnosis, Scott has been sharing her son’s stories on Facebook in hopes of raising awareness of the rare disease. Her post one day, caught the attention of Elizabeth Cardone, a nurse in College Station, Texas.

"I remember seeing this and just being stuck in my core of this family and what a just horrific and tragic thing they were dealing with," Cardone told Good Morning America, "You go from a common cold to being on life support."

Last month, Cardone’s 2-year-old son Carbin who had caught a cold, soon exhibited symptoms of weakness when he was found struggling to stand up in his crib. She immediately connected the dots and remembered Braden and AFM.

Cardone then contacted Scott on Facebook and took her advice. Soon, Corbin was also diagnosed with AFM and was immediately treated. He soon recovered enough to walk again.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), AFM affects the nervous system, particularly the area of the spinal cord known as ‘gray matter’ which can weaken the muscles and reflexes in the body. AFM has no known cause and it is still unclear why a small number of individuals (about 1 in a million kids) develop it while most others don’t. It has also been associated with certain strains of enteroviruses and in the last five years, more than 90% of those affected by AFM were reported to have a mild respiratory illness or consistent fever alongside a viral infection.