What began as a family outing to an amusement park ended in tragedy when a 4-year-old boy suffered a stroke brought on by riding roller coasters, CBS News reported.
In May 2013, the unnamed child rode a 30-foot high coaster that went 25 miles per hour before getting on a second one that went 10 miles faster and was 53 feet high, according to details of the incident published recently in the journal Pediatric Neurology. The theme park in question also wasn't named.
The child was fine after the amusement park trip. But the very next day he began vomiting, his parents said. His condition worsened during the flight home, with his face beginning to sag on the left side.
Once the family was home, the boy couldn't walk, CBS News reported. He was rushed to the hospital where doctors determined he had a stroke brought on by a whiplash-like injury.
The roller coaster's jerky movements combined with the gravitational pull on the boy's head and neck caused a tear to his carotid artery, Dr. Jose Biller, who treated the boy, explained to CBS News. The carotid artery brings oxygenated blood to the brain, so when it was torn, a blood clot formed and he had a stroke.
Luckily for the child, doctors were able to help him with dosages of aspirin. Six months after the incident, the patient was able to regain much of his muscle strength.
"He walks with a limp and he needs help getting dressed. But he can move his left arm and grip things," Biller, also chair of the Department of Neurology of Loyola University Chicago, told CBS News.
Strokes after riding roller coasters are rare, and to this day the 4-year-old remains the youngest known stroke case after riding one, the journal authors wrote.