When Instinct Speaks: A Texas Family’s Fight to Save Their Son from a Rare Illness

For one Texas family, what began as an ordinary trip to the emergency room nearly ended in unimaginable tragedy.

David “Chachi” Robledo, a joyful, energetic six-year-old, had never been seriously ill before. So when he became tired and unwell, his parents did what any responsible caregivers would do: they took him to the ER. But after a brief evaluation, they were told he was fine and sent home.

They were wrong.
And the delay in diagnosis nearly cost Chachi his life.

Shortly after returning home, Chachi's condition began to deteriorate rapidly. What looked like a mild illness turned into a terrifying, mysterious decline. He became confused, irritable, and disoriented. His mother remembers watching helplessly as her once-bubbly little boy slipped into a state that even doctors initially struggled to explain.

Eventually, Chachi was diagnosed with Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis (ADEM) — a rare and serious autoimmune disease where the body’s own immune system mistakenly attacks the brain and spinal cord. In Chachi’s case, the disease had already progressed too far by the time anyone recognized what was truly happening.

“We begged for more tests,” his mother recalls, emotion raw in her voice. “We knew something wasn’t right. But by the time they finally checked, he was in a life-threatening state.”

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A Race Against Time

Chachi was rushed to a hospital in Austin, where he was admitted for 12 excruciating days — 8 of them in the intensive care unit. His tiny body was connected to a tangle of tubes and monitors, machines breathing for him, regulating his fragile state. His parents stood watch at his bedside, praying for signs of improvement, living minute-to-minute between doctor updates and lab results.

In the ICU, every beep of a monitor was a reminder of how close they came to losing him.

ADEM is rare, especially in children, and can often masquerade as more common conditions, like the flu or viral meningitis. That’s what makes it so dangerous — and so often missed in early stages. The longer it goes untreated, the more devastating the damage.

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What Parents Need to Know About ADEM

Chachi's mother now shares her story with one goal: to make sure no other family experiences the same terror. Her message is simple but powerful: “If something feels wrong, trust your gut. Don’t stop pushing. No one knows your child better than you.”

🚨 Key warning signs of ADEM:

• High fever, fatigue, or flu-like symptoms that don’t improve

• Sudden confusion, behavioral changes, or drowsiness

• Loss of coordination, balance, or muscle control

• Seizures, slurred speech, or vision problems

Doctors stress that early diagnosis and aggressive treatment — often with steroids or immune-suppressing drugs — can mean the difference between a full recovery and long-term neurological damage, or even death.

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The Long Road Back

While Chachi is now back in school and slowly regaining strength, the journey is far from over. ADEM leaves lasting effects — physical, emotional, and cognitive. Some children may experience memory loss, learning difficulties, or mobility challenges that can last for months or years. There is no cure, only treatment to manage and minimize the damage.

Still, every day that Chachi walks into his classroom is a victory. Every laugh, every step, every hug is a reminder of how close they came to saying goodbye — and how incredibly lucky they were to catch it in time.

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Turning Pain into Purpose

For Chachi’s mother, the fear has become fuel. She now advocates fiercely for awareness, using her voice to warn other families not to back down when something doesn’t feel right. She speaks at local gatherings, shares her son’s journey online, and urges hospitals to consider rare diseases more quickly in pediatric cases.

“This isn’t just about my son,” she says. “It’s about every child who was dismissed too quickly. It’s about every parent who sat in an ER feeling like they weren’t being heard.”

Her family continues to ask for prayers, encouragement, and support as they navigate Chachi’s healing process. They remain deeply grateful for the medical professionals who eventually recognized what was happening — but they are equally determined to ensure future diagnoses come sooner, not later.

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A Story That Could Save Lives

Chachi’s story is more than a medical case. It’s a call to action.

A call to trust parental intuition.
A call for medical providers to listen more carefully.
A call for communities to support families battling rare diseases.
And most of all, a call for awareness—because in cases like ADEM, awareness is the difference between recovery and heartbreak.

Behind every hospital bed is a child with dreams, a family with fears, and a fight that doesn’t end when the IVs are removed. The strength of one little boy from Texas is now helping protect others, one conversation at a time.

Let this story remind us:
Sometimes the most powerful medicine isn’t just what comes through an IV.
It’s found in a parent’s voice, in early action, and in the unwavering belief that every child deserves to be heard — and healed.