10-year-old girl who can't walk, talk remains undiagnosed

A Central Florida family is fighting to find out about the illness that has drastically changed their daughter's life.

Brianna Skriver, 10, is one of only 100 people admitted into a national undiagnosed diseases program.

Skriver's family told WFTV's Lori Brown how their daughter was perfectly healthy until she turned 5 years old.

Skriver remembers being like any other girl. She loved playing, dancing, and soccer. But now she needs a wheelchair to get around, and the worst part is, doctors cannot figure out what is wrong with her.

"I started noticing on the soccer field that her run was different, and I asked her if she could skip, and she couldn't," said Brianna's mother Tammy Skriver.

Brianna's older brother, Austin, remembers that day.

"Never thought it would get this bad," said Austin Skriver.

Now Skriver cannot walk or talk.

A year ago, she stopped swallowing food and is now fed through a tube.

"Going from having a normal healthy child who is active and laughing and getting into things, to a child that cannot walk or talk or tell me her pains is excruciating," said Tammy Skriver.

With no diagnosis, there is no treatment for Skriver.

Tammy Skriver wants to try a treatment that worked for another little girl with similar symptoms. But that medicine is not covered by insurance.

"The IV treatments are $1,800 every shipment," said Tammy Skriver.

The single mother of two is also working to make her house wheelchair accessible.

"She was always my wild child, had no fear, be jumping off the couch, running around in her princess dress up outfit with high heels," she said.

Tammy Skriver is hopeful that one day doctors will find a cure for Brianna or at least find a name for the disease they are fighting.

A Florida group that normally serves veterans is donating a ramp so they won't have to carry Skriver up and down the stairs anymore.

Doctors with the National Institutes of Health are working with the family to try to figure out what Skriver has. They believe it may be a genetic mutation. They're doing DNA research, but it could take years. And until there is a diagnosis, they can't prescribe a treatment.

If you would like to help Brianna, you can get connected with the Friends of Brianna Facebook page by clicking here. The page will explain how you can make a donation to help cover her medical expenses.

WFTV