INSIDER – During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Courtney’s four-year-old son, Alex, began developing disconcerting symptoms.
He was in a lot of pain, chewing on all kinds of things, and had stopped growing taller, she told TODAY.com.
In 2021, Alex appeared to have imbalances between his left and right side, “He would lead with his right foot and just bring his left food along for the ride,” Courtney told TODAY.com.
But no one could seem to pinpoint what was going on.
After 17 doctors visits over three years, Courtney took to ChatGPT to figure out what was going on.
ChatGPT thought Alex had a spinal cord abnormality, and it ended up being right.
“I went line by line of everything that was in his (MRI notes) and plugged it into ChatGPT,” Courtney told TODAY.com. She also noted that Alex couldn’t sit crisscross applesauce, which she said “was a huge trigger” for her that “a structural thing could be wrong.”
ChatGPT eventually spat out “tethered cord syndrome,” a neurological syndrome where the spinal cord is attached to surrounding tissues of the spine.
Courtney joined a Facebook group for families of children with the syndrome, and saw stories that mirrored Alex’s.
Courtney brought up ChatGPT’s suggestion at an appointment with a new neurosurgeon, who confirmed that the artificial intelligence program was right …
