When Ashley Geuther’s 9-year-old daughter came down with the flu, everything about it felt familiar.
There was the fever, the chills and the exhaustion — the kind of illness most parents know all too well. Ashley did what parents do: She made sure her daughter rested, stayed hydrated and was carefully monitored. At first, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Like many parents, Ashley was concerned, but she told Newsweek there was “nothing that seemed alarming at first.” When the fever finally broke after a few days, she felt a wave of relief. She thought her daughter was getting better.
Then, unexpectedly, things changed.
“It started like a typical flu, and Tori had a very high fever and was extremely weak,” Ashley, 35, of Michigan, told Newsweek. “When the fever broke after a few days, I thought she was turning a corner. Then suddenly she started complaining of intense pain in both legs.”
At first, the pain seemed manageable. Tori told her mom it started in her thighs and moved down into her calves. Because she was still recovering from the flu, Ashley assumed it was muscle soreness — the kind that can follow days of illness.
But the pain didn’t ease. It intensified.
“She told me the pain was deep in her muscles and that it hurt too much to stand,” Ashley said. “She said her legs felt too weak to support her.”
Trusting her instincts, Ashley took her daughter to a walk-in clinic. Tests were ordered, but she said doctors did not appear overly concerned. Tori was sent home with advice that felt reassuring on the surface: rest, fluids and pain medication. They even suggested she could return to school.
Ashley decided to keep her home anyway.
The next morning confirmed her fears.
“She tried to get up for school, took one step and dropped straight to the ground because the pain was so unbearable when she put pressure on her feet,” Ashley said. “I immediately carried her to the car and took her to the ER. That was the moment I knew this was something serious.”
At the hospital, doctors ran blood work and performed a urinalysis. The results revealed something Ashley had never heard of: benign acute childhood myositis, a rare condition that can develop after viral illnesses such as the flu.
According to the National Institutes of Health, the condition causes sudden muscle inflammation — often in the calves — leading to severe pain and difficulty walking. It can be alarming, especially because many clinicians are unfamiliar with it and symptoms can come on quickly.
“This completely caught me off guard,” Ashley said. “I had never even heard of this kind of complication from the flu before. It was scary and very unexpected.”
Tori remained in the hospital, where she received IV fluids and pain management while doctors closely monitored her condition. Slowly, the pain eased. About a week after being discharged, she began walking normally again.
Today, she is back to being herself.
Grateful for the outcome, Ashley chose to share their experience publicly on TikTok — not to frighten other parents, but to help them feel prepared. A video showing Tori in the hospital quickly went viral, reaching hundreds of thousands of viewers.
Her message is simple and deeply parental.
“Listen to your kids when they say something hurts, even if it seems unusual,” Ashley said. “Trust your gut — you know your child better than anyone.”
Looking back, she says sharing their story feels especially important during flu season.
“I’m just grateful she’s OK now,” Ashley said. “I shared our story because I know a lot of parents have never heard of viral myositis, and I hope this helps someone catch it sooner.”
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