THE past two years have been a living nightmare for West Tamar mother Hollie Watson and daughter Matilda.
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Sunday will mark two years to the day since Matilda became paralysed after picking up a rogue virus, possibly at creche.
Matilda had been a happy and active 22-month-old child when she was struck down by the mystery illness that left her unable to use her legs.
Ms Watson and Matilda spent weeks at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne before a diagnosis became apparent – positive blood tests for Guillain-Barrè syndrome and transverse myelitis indicated myeloradiculitis, an extremely rare condition similar to polio.
Matilda’s condition improved slightly with assertive physiotherapy conducted in hospital over three months, but Ms Watson said similar resources were unavailable after their discharge to Tasmania, and Matilda’s condition had been deteriorating.
Since discharge, much of Matilda’s muscle mass below the waist has atrophied, despite Ms Watson conducting daily therapy with her daughter at their home.
‘‘If that treatment had continued for longer, I think she probably would be standing, be walking more and have more muscle mass,’’ Ms Watson said.
‘‘[It’s had] a huge impact. Every single day I feel the pressure.
‘‘I’m trying to do the best I can for her to get up, to get her moving, because if I don’t do it it’s not happened.’’
Ms Watson believes Matilda to be the only child with myeloradiculitis in Australia, and has postponed her career as a primary school teacher to become Matilda’s 24-hour carer.
She said the eradication of polio in Australia and the declaration of the country’s polio-free status in 2000 had resulted in a lack of medical professionals with an understanding of Matilda’s condition and best-practice treatment.
About to turn four, Matilda is slowly becoming aware of her disability.
‘‘She can start to see herself as being different – sometimes when we go to the playground she just sits there looking quite sad,’’ Ms Watson said.
‘‘She looks at the other children climbing the equipment and doing the things that she used to be able to do, but now she can only do it if I help her.’’
Ms Watson hopes to raise enough money to take Matilda to Spinal Cord Injuries Australia at Footscray for at least three lots of assertive therapy next year. She eventually hopes the pair can make the trip to California, where doctors have been working with a small cluster of children with the same illness.