While a toddler’s life is full of trips, falls and near-misses, little Kate Gulo had many more than the average toddler.
Kate suffers from a rare neurological condition which caused her to fall over approximately 100 times every day.
Two-year-old Kate learned to walk just after turning one and like any other tot enjoyed dancing, jumping and running around.
But at 18 months, parents Teresa and Kenny noticed Kate was having difficulty balancing and walking.
She was struggling to walk in a straight line and by October 2016, the little girl was falling over frequently.
Doctors were puzzled by her lack of coordination and thought it could possibly be caused by an ear infection or virus.
However, in the next few months, her condition worsened, with falls occurring every five to ten minutes, resulting in her having up to 100 falls every day.
She also developed shaky hands, fluttery eyelids, problems sleeping and rage attacks which saw her scream and lash out in outbursts "20 times worse than a normal tantrum".
By February 2017, the little girl could not crawl, sit or stand without falling and she was admitted to hospital, according to The Mirror.
Doctors at Lurie Children's Hospital in Chicago, US, carried out scans on Kate’s brain and diagnosed her with ultra-rare Opsoclonus Myoclonus Syndrome (OMS), which affects the nervous system.
After the diagnosis, doctors started little Kate on a course of chemo and steroids to treat the condition.
After only a few days' treatment, there was a significant improvement and Kate took her first steps in almost four months.
Mum Teresa from Illinois, said watching Kate walk again was incredible.“We cried so much when she got back up on her feet.
"There was a point when we didn't know how much more downhill her condition could go.
"We started thinking, 'Will she ever walk again?' It was devastating to see.
"Now she is walking and jumping and running, pretty much like a normal two-year-old.
"It feels like the doctors saved her life and ours too.
"We don't know what the future holds but we will keep fighting this with our little 'SuperKate' ”.
Prior to Kate’s diagnosis, her parents had to prevent her from walking as much as possible in case she hurt herself badly during a fall.
“We would sit her on the couch and give her the iPad because we didn't want her to get hurt," Teresa said.
"We didn't feel we could take her anywhere. If we had to go to the store we had to put her in a stroller or carry her”.
The brave little girl is now walking well and climbing onto the chairs and into her stroller by herself. To follow her journey, visit the family’s Facebook page here.
