FORTVILLE, IN — Payal Rana of Fortville carries a unique perspective on vaccines and personal health decisions, one born out of a terrifying childhood experience that left her temporarily paralyzed and required two years of intensive physical therapy.

Rana’s ordeal began years ago when, before a trip to India for a cousin’s wedding, her pediatrician recommended she receive a flu vaccine. Unbeknownst to them, the specific strain of that year carried a rare one in 100,000 chance of triggering Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS)—an autoimmune condition where the body’s immune system attacks the nerves, leading to paralysis.

The Onset of Paralysis Two days after arriving in India, the symptoms began. Rana woke up with a sensation she described as the familiar “tingly, weird feeling” of a limb fall

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