Holiday nightmare as three-year-old wakes up unable to walk

Imogen Roberts (3) contracted a virus that left her unable to walk. Credit: ITV News Anglia

A dream holiday ended in a parents' nightmare when three-year-old Imogen Roberts from Raunds in Northamptonshire woke up unable to use her legs.

Her parents thought she was just tired after recovering from a virus but she had been struck down with a condition called transverse myelitis.

Imogen now faces a long and painful battle to walk again.

  • Watch a report about Imogen by ITV News Anglia's Liz Summers

Imogen was on a family holiday in Belgium when she caught a virus. She was taken to hospital by her mother Holly as a precaution.

Holly Roberts said: "She ran out of hospital singing and dancing, normal Imogen, went to bed fine and in the morning she just couldn't walk."

The virus had led to transverse myelitis, a rare neurological disorder caused by inflammation of the spinal cord.

Imogen's mother Holly hopes her daughter will walk again after intensive physiotherapy. Credit: ITV News Anglia
Imogen was on a family holiday in Belgium when she caught a virus and was taken to hospital. Credit: Roberts' family

Holly's trying to raise £10,000 to pay for intensive physiotherapy, hoping it'll give Imogen the best chance to walk again.