Tick Bite Leaves Fitness Influencer Paralysed, Fights to Walk Again

Maria Palen, a fitness influencer from California, is relearning how to walk after a rare illness led to partial paralysis and dramatically altered her life. She first shared her health journey on Instagram in September 2024, detailing how an abrupt and puzzling illness left her confined to bed. By December, she reported small improvements, including slight movement in one leg and the ability to take a few steps.

Her symptoms began with mild aches and gradually worsened. By March 2024, she had lost 20 pounds and could no longer carry out daily activities. "It felt like my body completely gave up on me," she recalled.

Doctors first suspected an autoimmune disorder, but later identified that Palen had contracted Babesiosis—a rare, potentially severe illness caused by parasites transmitted through tick bites. The infection targeted her red blood cells and significantly compromised her immune system.

Maria Palen described experiencing intense pain during everyday activities, such as using her phone or turning a steering wheel. Her condition worsened rapidly in October 2024 when she began feeling feverish and weak. During her hospitalisation, she became paralysed from the waist down. Tests showed elevated white blood cell counts in her spinal fluid, suggesting inflammation or a possible infection affecting her spinal cord.

Although doctors couldn’t provide a definitive diagnosis, Palen suspects her symptoms might be linked to Lyme disease. She underwent antibiotic treatment, which helped eliminate the infection, but the nerve damage had already taken its toll.

Maria Palen now resides with her family in Texas, having lost both her apartment and career due to her illness. A GoFundMe campaign launched in January has raised over $12,000 to aid her recovery. Doctors have given her a one-in-three chance of full, partial, or no recovery.

Despite the uncertainty, Palen stays optimistic. Her ultimate goal is to walk again, and she continues to undergo daily rehabilitation.

(Rh/Mradula U Naik/MSM/SE)