Doctors Baffled by 14-Month-Old Toddler’s Mysterious Illness That Has Left Her ‘Floppy’ and Unable to Feed

NEED TO KNOW

• 14-month-old Elyza has an undiagnosed condition causing severe muscle weakness and developmental delays

• Her mother, Yasmin Whittington, left her job to care for Elyza, who has to be fed via a tube and struggles with gaining weight

• Doctors initially thought her illness was “floppy infant syndrome,” but they now believe that there must be an underlying cause

A family has opened up about their 14-month-old daughter’s mysterious illness that causes her body to go floppy.

Mom Yasmin Whittington, 30, from Brechin, Scotland, has been forced to leave her job to care full-time for Elyza, who began showing symptoms of the unknown condition at just two months old.

It causes the toddler to experience persistent sickness, poor feeding, diminished muscle tone, and chronic fatigue.

Elyza spent months in the hospital and has had numerous genetic tests, MRI scans, ultrasounds and blood tests to determine her illness, but her family is still waiting for her to be officially diagnosed almost a year on.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.  

“It all started when Elyza was about two months old,” Whittington told The Archie Foundation in a press release seen by PEOPLE. “She began being sick, she wasn’t feeding right and she was very floppy. I knew something wasn’t right.

“Her muscle tone was almost non-existent, and she would sleep around 21 hours a day. She just wasn’t developing the way she should.”

She claimed that doctors initially thought Elyza’s ailment was “floppy infant syndrome.” But they now believe that there must be an underlying cause.

Floppy infant syndrome, also known as hypotonia, is a diagnosis given to babies with low muscle tone, according to the Cleveland Clinic, which added that babies with the condition “appear droopy, similar to a rag doll.”

The clinic added that other symptoms include the baby not being able to lift their head or control their neck muscles, feeling limp when held and not being able to place weight on their lips.

Babies with floppy baby syndrome may also have difficulty swallowing or sucking and have a weak cry.

The mom of four said that Elyza has only just begun to sit and has to be fed through a tube, meaning she struggles to gain weight.

She also suffers from serious gastrointestinal problems and may also have to rely on a feeding tube that goes directly to her stomach when she is older.

Development-wise, Whittington said her daughter is closer to a five or six-month-old baby.

“Elyza’s been in [the] hospital for more than three months of her life and it’s still something doctors are working hard to understand,” she told the outlet. “It’s been very tough on all of us.”

Whittington — who lives with her husband Charles, 31, and her three other children, Isaac, 7, Alfie, 5, and Isla, 2 — said she has gone from “mom to nurse quite quickly.”

“Doctors are trying to figure out the best way forward,” she added.

The parent is taking part in Glasgow’s Kiltwalk challenge to raise money for The Archie Foundation.

The charity was set up in 2000 and aims to help “local sick children, providing much-needed extras not already catered for by the NHS” (the U.K.’s National Health Service).

The Archie Foundation helped Whittington and her family by providing a special car seat to support Elyza when traveling, given her limited muscle tone. They were able to get the “life-changing” equipment in just two weeks.

The organisation has also provided grants to help cover the cost of travel, childcare and hospital stays.

Whittington said: “It’s so expensive when you’re travelling back and forward and spending time in hospital. They’ve lifted a huge financial burden for us during a really tough time.”

Despite the ongoing uncertainty about her Elyza’s condition, Whittington says the family are focusing on helping her flourish.

She added: “Whatever happens, we’re just learning what our new normal looks like and doing everything we can to give her the best life possible.”

Read the original article on People