A five-year-old boy has had to relearn how to walk and talk after a bout of the flu caused a “catastrophic” brain disorder.
Beckett Wear was diagnosed with acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE), a rare and severe brain condition which caused rapid neurological decline and is often triggered by a viral reaction – like the flu – which leads to inflammation and brain swelling.
He had previously become sick from a virus shortly before his second birthday, with doctors diagnosing ANE at the time after he suffered seizure-like symptoms, grew lethargic and his eyes crossed.
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“Nothing prepares you for seeing your child that sick and not knowing what is happening,” his mum, 40-year-old former teacher Christine, told Need To Know.
“It was utterly heartbreaking to see him in the hospital.
“Beckett was surrounded by machines, tubes, and monitors.
“He couldn’t communicate, move or eat normally.
“We never envisioned how that emergency room visit would change our lives forever.”
Beckett, from Chicago, US, was diagnosed with ANE and genetic testing found that he has an underlying susceptibility, which makes him more vulnerable to his response.
The young boy had been able to recover from the 2022 episode, spending two weeks in hospital before having rehabilitation to regain the use of his faculties, with specialist care helping him to walk once more.
By his fourth birthday, he was back on track and meeting all neurological milestones – before another episode was triggered in February 2025.
Then four, Beckett came down with the flu, and three days later this triggered another bout of ANE – and stronger than before.
Christine, who cares for her son full-time, said: “Because of his history, we’ve learned to be proactive.
“Shortly after we learned he had the flu, we brought him to the hospital and consulted his neurologists right away.
“When Beckett gets sick, he often struggles to stay hydrated, so the plan was to admit him and monitor him closely.
“As the night went on, he began yelling that his head hurt.
“By morning, it was clear he wasn’t himself.
“He was confused, less responsive, and we could tell the inflammation was starting again.”
Beckett became increasingly poorly and ended up intubated and “fighting for his life”.
Christine added: “We have never experienced such sadness and grief.
“We missed our little guy deeply.
“At the same time, we were in awe of his strength – he was fighting in ways we didn’t know possible.”
This time around, recovery has been a far longer and trickier mission, with Beckett losing the ability to walk, talk and even feed himself as a result of the brain damage.
He remained in hospital for nine weeks and, when he first started inpatient rehabilitation, couldn’t move most of his body and was tube-fed.
Christine said: “The first few weeks were really hard on him, and he cried through most sessions.”
Brave Beckett persevered, as through electrical stimulation to re-engage and activate his nerve signals, he has slowly regained use of his arms.
He has also undergone speech therapy, which aided him in being able to feed himself and swallow, and re-learn how to talk.
Incredibly, following months of specialist care, Beckett is now able to walk and run independently without the use of a wheelchair or mobility aid.
Christine said: “It has been heartbreaking and humbling to watch.
“Things you never think twice about – holding a spoon, taking a step, saying a word – became monumental victories, and this boy has done it three times.
Nearly a year on, Beckett is still having daily rehab, particularly focusing on his respiratory control, but is set to ‘graduate’ in March.
But his family will remain cautious when it comes to his future health.
Christine said: “When your child has nearly died from something that started as a very normal illness, it changes how you see the world.
“Things like the flu or common viral infections are frightening now in a way they never were before.
“For most families, they’re inconveniences. For us, they carry real risk.
“That said, we try very hard not to live in constant fear.
“The fear is always there in the background, but so is hope.
“We’ve seen Beckett recover, work unbelievably hard in therapy, and reclaim his life more than once – that resilience gives us courage.
“So while we are more cautious than most families, we still choose joy, normalcy, and childhood wherever we can.
“Fear doesn’t get to lead – love and preparation do.”
“Beckett is a joyful, resilient little boy.
“His journey isn’t over, but he continues to grow, learn, and surprise us every day.
“Rare diseases like ANE are isolating and often misunderstood.
“Awareness matters, not just for funding and research, but so families don’t feel alone.
“Beckett’s story is one of survival, but also of love, resilience, and the quiet strength families find when they have no other choice.”
