Scary Video Shows 3-Year-Old Temporarily Paralyzed After Dog Tick Bite

Dealing with ticks at this time of year can get tedious, but a recent video that emerged should act as a reminder for all of us to be diligent about checking for the bugs after spending time outside. Amanda and Lantz Lewis from La Grande, Ore., had a scare with their three-year-old daughter Evelyn.

Around bedtime, Evelyn started acting fussy and was having trouble standing. Amanda spent the night with Evelyn, and the couple took a video of her worsening symptoms the following day. They shared the video with nurses in their family in the hopes of identifying the problem. That video, which can be seen below, has been viewed 21 million times. CNN has more:

The girl’s symptoms began to get worse, and since Lantz has a history with cancer, they rushed Evelyn to the ER.

Lantz Lewis told CNN, “I was in the Navy, and they found a rare brain tumor typically found in children. I couldn’t run straight, and I felt dizzy, so our minds starting going to that.”

At the hospital, the doctor told the couple he had seen fewer than a dozen children Evelyn’s age with similar symptoms over the past 15 years and suggested the cause may be a tick.

“He combed one side of her head and then started combing the back and found the tick,” Lantz said. “He left, got some gloves and a pair of tweezers and pulled it off.”

The doctor found a dog tick on Evelyn and told the couple they are not the type that carry Lyme disease.

The paralysis, which happens only rarely, was caused by a toxin in the saliva of the tick that bit Evelyn. Fortunately, the following day she was back to her normal self. The video that the Lewis family shared has helped spread the word about the dangers of ticks. Lyme disease is, of course, a big focus, but there are other dangers associated with them, as Evelyn experienced.