Sydney Fowler’s life changed in just a few days. The healthy South Carolina teenager went from playing volleyball and doing CrossFit to losing movement below her chest after a rare staph infection reached her spine in December 2018. Doctors first struggled to find the cause, calling it a “medical mystery.” After two emergency surgeries, months of treatment, and long rehabilitation, Fowler chose to focus on recovery instead of giving up, according to PEOPLE and FOX 5 Atlanta.
Sydney Fowler’s rare spinal infection changed her life in just days
Before she became sick, Sydney Fowler spent most of her time on the volleyball court. She hoped to become strong enough to play in college one day. During volleyball practice in December 2018, she suddenly felt pain in her chest and back.
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At first, doctors believed it could be a less serious problem, including a lung infection and later pericarditis. But her condition kept getting worse.The biggest scare came when she visited her pediatrician. Her legs started tingling, then quickly became numb, and she collapsed. Doctors rushed her back to the hospital. An MRI finally showed a mass pressing against her spinal cord. Tests later confirmed it was caused by a staph infection that had spread to her spine.“They were trying to figure it out,” Fowler told PEOPLE. “At that point, I was a medical mystery.”She underwent emergency surgery, but doctors soon found that the infection had returned and grown larger. A second surgery removed almost all of it, and she spent six weeks receiving strong antibiotics through a PICC line. According to FOX 5 Atlanta, when she arrived for rehabilitation in January 2019, she had no feeling or movement below the waist.
Sydney Fowler found hope through rehabilitation, family support and determination
The next chapter was much harder than surgery. Fowler and her family moved to Atlanta so she could continue treatment at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and the Shepherd Center. Every day brought physical therapy, including aquatic rehabilitation, where she pushed herself to improve.Her determination showed in the smallest victories. During one visit from her volleyball teammates, she suddenly realized she could move her toes. “Watch!” she said before showing them the movement, according to FOX 5 Atlanta. That small moment became a sign that progress was possible.Her family never let hope disappear. Her father told FOX 5 Atlanta, “This is kind of the new thing. We’re attacking this like any other sport we’ve ever done.” Fowler also kept believing in herself, saying she stayed “pretty determined.”Today, Fowler’s story is about much more than the illness that changed her life. It shows how determination, family support, skilled medical care, and rehabilitation helped her keep moving forward, one small step at a time.