Ticks are mostly harmless insects, but their infections can be deadly. To survive, they feed on the blood of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and, on rare occasions, humans.

Stephanie noticed something was amiss with her child when she entered his bedroom.

Colin, her kid, is used to jumping around his room, but his conduct on this particular occasion was odd.

Collin had just been playing in bed, gazing up at Stephanie, so she called her husband Dillon.

Dillon and Stephanie were surprised to find that Colin had become paralyzed overnight when they brought him to the emergency department. They assumed the concussion was caused by his collapsing prior to his brother’s baseball game.

Doctors believed he didn’t have a concussion because he could still speak reasonably well after the incident and wasn’t having any symptoms.

Collins’ condition quickly worsened, prompting more tests. Dillon was heartbroken to see Collin immobile.

When his oxygen levels began to plummet due to his inability to eat or drink, he was transferred to a larger hospital.

Stephanie and Dillon knew that every second counted for Collin, and he had the best equipment available.

Collin’s parents found after he was transported that if they had come any later, their son might have died of a heart attack.

A little tick behind Collin’s ear was later found to be the source of the problem.

Both his parents and the physicians had missed it.

After the tick was removed, he rapidly returned to normal.

Despite the prevalence of tick bites, paralysis from bug saliva is a rare condition.

According to the medical specialist, the tick’s salivary glands contain a neurotoxic chemical. This implies that the neurotoxin was able to reach Collin’s system while the tick was feeding, producing paralysis.

Collin’s illness should encourage parents to be wary of their children’s health.