A four-year-old girl experienced a severe stroke, which doctors believe was triggered by the chickenpox virus she contracted six months prior. Olivia Elliot was initially thought to have a common sickness bug when she woke up vomiting with a headache, but her condition rapidly deteriorated.
Within hours, Olivia lost the ability to grip her mother's hand and began to lose balance. Her speech became slurred, and one side of her face drooped. Her mother, Rebecca, rushed her to St John's Hospital in Livingston, Scotland. Doctors performed numerous tests, ultimately diagnosing Olivia with a stroke. Further examination revealed significant inflammation in a major artery in her neck, which had restricted blood flow to her brain.
Specialists identified the varicella-zoster virus, responsible for chickenpox, as the likely cause. The infection is thought to have led to swelling in her arteries, culminating in the stroke. While the majority of strokes affect older adults, the number of young people experiencing them is increasing. Stroke in childhood is considered uncommon, with approximately 400 cases occurring annually in the UK, according to Brain Research UK.
In rare instances, the chickenpox virus can reach the brain, causing encephalitis, or swelling of the brain. This occurs in about one to two out of every 1,000 chickenpox cases.
Olivia, who was born nine weeks premature and had been diagnosed with mild cerebral palsy, had experienced a seemingly uncomplicated case of chickenpox in December 2024. Her mother had considered it an easy case as Olivia had spots but was not severely ill. However, a few months later, when her husband found Olivia vomiting, Rebecca noticed her daughter struggling to grip objects, an early sign she had initially attributed to her cerebral palsy. Concerned, she contacted a business partner specializing in brain injuries, who advised her to seek immediate medical attention.
Olivia was taken to A&E and later transferred by ambulance to Edinburgh's Royal Hospital for Children for specialized treatment. She remained hospitalized for eight weeks, from June 29 to August 11, before returning home. Now five years old, Olivia uses a walker at school as she continues her recovery and rehabilitation.
Her mother emphasized that Olivia's initial symptoms—vomiting and headache—are not typically associated with strokes, which are often recognized by the FAST (Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulty, Time to call emergency services) analogy. Rebecca urged parents to trust their instincts if something does not feel right, noting that she met two other families with children who had suffered strokes during Olivia's hospitalization. Following her experience, Rebecca founded Olivia's Steps Foundation to support families of children with disabilities.