Girl with Mystery Illness Update

MYFOXNY.COM - In the summer of 2008, David Bourhill emailed FOX 5's Dr. Sapna Parikh for help. Their daughter had a mysterious illness that doctors across the country could not figure out. Paige Bourhill was born on August 4, 2005, and was perfectly healthy. But at 10 months, Paige came down with her very first cold, had a seizure, and was never the same. To this day, she still can't talk and can't walk. The family recently traveled to the other side of the world, looking for another source of answers.

You can follow Paige's progress here:

>A PROMISE FOR PAIGE

Some patients wait years for a definitive diagnosis to their uncommon illness, according to federal health officials. The National Institutes of Health's Undiagnosed Diseases Program pursues two goals:

--To provide answers to patients with mysterious conditions that have long eluded diagnosis

--To advance medical knowledge about rare and common diseases

The NIH Web site says that "any longstanding medical condition that eludes diagnosis by a referring physician can be considered undiagnosed and may be of interest to this clinical research program." However, the agency notes that a "very limited number" of cases will be invited to join the study.

For more information, call (866) 444-8806 and log on to:

>NIH UNDIAGNOSED DISEASES PROGRAM