My son was finally diagnosed with acute flaccid myelitis, now I need more answers
Editor's Note: This essay is a firsthand account written by Amber Allen, the mother of Cooper. It was Aug. 7, and we were about to leave for our last family trip of the summer. As my husband and I finished packing up the car for a family trip, our 13-year-old son Cooper complained of a headache and a sore, stiff neck. He was lethargic and had a fever. "He must be coming down with a something," I thought. Nothing that warranted canceling our plans, I reassured myself. After all, with 15 years of parenting under our belts and five kids, we’d experienced fevers and illnesses more times than we could count. Cooper slept for most of the drive to Utah, but his symptoms worsened the next day. The fever continued and he began vomiting — he was extremely pale and weak. I felt a d...