updated by lauren dunn and parminder deo little carter roberts , of chesterfield , virginia , was a typical 3 - year - old — playful , healthy , and active .
“ help him breath , ” says his mother robin roberts .
from jan. 1 to aug. 31 , 2016 , the cdc reported 50 people in 24 u.s. states had been diagnosed with acute flaccid myelitis ( afm ) , compared with only 21 people in 2015 in 16 u.s. states .
afm affects the nervous system , specifically the spinal cord , according to the cdc .
” carter could barely stand when she picked him up , and his the centers for disease control and prevention ( cdc ) is warning against a polio - like illness that is causing paralysis among an increasing number of americans .
afm can be caused by a variety of germs , such as notes from the field : acute flaccid myelitis among persons aged ≤21 years — united states , august 1 – november 13 , 2014 division of viral diseases , national centers for disease control and prevention reported monday .
from august to december 2014 , 120 people , mostly patients 21 cases were confirmed for the whole year .
( family photos ) before dinner on july 29 , 3 - year - old carter roberts of chesterfield , va. , seemed perfectly healthy .
when he woke up the next morning with a slight fever of 99 degrees , his mother , robin roberts , figured that he was coming down with a cold .