The first sign was a red spot in the corner of Rosalie’s right eye. Rosalie had recently returned from a family trip to Mexico, and her mother, Mia Pena, initially wondered whether the pool water had irritated it. When the redness continued into Georgia’s pollen season, allergies seemed like another reasonable explanation. Rosalie was 6 years old. She otherwise appeared healthy. But the eye remained red. Sometimes, Rosalie said, it hurt or burned. An urgent-care visit produced advice to continue allergy medicine and lubricating drops. An ophthalmologist saw inflammation and prescribed steroid eye drops. Rosalie was also given glasses because she might have been straining her eyes. Something still did not feel right to her mother. “I guess I was just like, this is not just allergies,” Pena said. The family began noticing that Rosalie did not move her eyes normally when someone called her. One eye started turning inward. Then she began to limp. At first, her parents wondered whether she was adjusting to the new glasses. Then, while the family was preparing to go grocery shopping in early May 2024, Rosalie tried to put on her shoes using only her right hand. Her left hand remained clenched. Her father asked why she was not using it. “I can’t, Daddy,” Rosalie told him, according to her mother. That was the moment the explanations involving pollen, inflammation and glasses no longer made sense. The family took Rosalie to a Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta urgent-care location.…
*This content (including text, artwork, graphics, photography, and video) was provided by the third party(ies) as referenced above. Any rights or other content questions or inquiries should be directed to such third-party provider(s).
