Four-year-old Locklynn Boler from Ohio tested positive for the flu—just days later, she was hospitalized with severe brain damage.
NEW YORK — While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that the worst of this flu season has passed, one Ohio family is facing an unimaginable reality after the virus left their young daughter in a coma.
What started as a routine illness quickly turned into a life-altering ordeal.
“Every day, I wake up to a nightmare,” said Brad Boler, Locklynn’s father.
The 4-year-old initially showed typical flu symptoms, but her condition deteriorated rapidly when she began struggling to breathe and suddenly collapsed. Her father rushed her to the hospital.
“They had to perform CPR on her three times before they finally got a pulse,” Boler recalled.
A Devastating Diagnosis
Locklynn was transferred to another hospital, where doctors delivered heartbreaking news.
“They told us she had extensive brain damage. She’ll never walk again. She might be able to make noises, but she won’t be able to talk,” Boler shared.
Dr. Leah Croll, a neurologist at Maimonides Health, explained how the flu can impact the brain in severe cases.
“The virus itself can cause inflammation in the brain, or brain damage can occur due to a lack of oxygen,” Dr. Croll said.
According to CDC data, 13% of children who died from the flu this season had suffered brain damage. While the CDC is monitoring whether this year’s flu strain poses a greater neurological risk to children, it has noted that such cases are not commonly tracked in flu-related data.
Flu Hospitalizations at Record High
This flu season has led to more hospitalizations than any other in the past 15 years.
Now, doctors and parents are urging the public to take the flu seriously.
“I used to think, ‘It’s just the flu, you’ll be fine.’ But I’m telling you, this virus can take your baby away,” Boler warned.