Miracle Girl

Imagine watching your child wither away to nothing. Doctors unable to come up with a diagnosis that makes sense and explains why.

That's exactly what happened to one local family. A ten month ordeal left their 11-year old daughter emaciated, wheelchair bound and on a feeding tube.

The hot game "Dance Dance Revolution" is one of Anna Internicola's favorite things. She and her family are grateful she is finally healthy enough to do it and sit up to practice the piano.

One year ago what started as a sore throat and fever would send Anna on a terrifying rollercoaster of health problems.

"on January 9th she got off the bus she felt fine. January 10th she got off the bus she didn’t feel good."

Anna was diagnosed with strep throat. But Anna didn't get better with a first or second round of antibiotics. Tests showed elevated white blood cells, a virus was blamed but Anna never got better.

"All along she’s getting weaker and weaker sleeping more and more just laying on the couch .. Sore throat is gone .. But then she started complaining about a stomach ache."

"no I wasn’t hungry .. My stomach really hurt .. I really felt like I was going to throw up .. So I didn't eat."

By march Anna had lost 12 pounds. She was admitted to the hospital for every test imaginable. Anna was discharged with a feeding tube, diagnosed with severe malnutrition and profound depression. The problem no one believed it.

"They thought I was depressed but I knew I wasn’t depressed because I wasn’t sad I was just tired .. But they didn't believe me."

"We decided the depression was not the route to go. Counselor could not find anything that would be causing Anna to be thinking in this way .. She was normal."

With Anna now in a wheelchair her mom was desperate for answers.

"I had days of fear .. I had nights where I had her sleep in my bed so if I woke up I could reach out and .. I wanted to know she was still breathing."

Eventually, after no clear answers about what was going on, Anna had deteriorated so much her mom felt strongly physical therapy should at least be tried. No one had suggested that as a form of treatment so Anna ended up at Cantrell Physical Therapy.

They started slow with massage and stretching. After months of increasing the level of therapy Anna slowly improved. Her feeding tube was eventually removed and she took a June trip to Yellowstone National Park with her family.

"That was when I really started changing and getting back to normal."

By July, Anna was dancing with a cane. By the end of September Anna had her last appointment with Cantrell.

The best guess about what happened to Anna is that a rogue virus took a major toll. And that the physical therapy helped her re-build muscle mass that had withered away. Anna's family is certain faith too, played a part.

"It was completely out of all our hands .. There was no diagnosis we could understand about this .. It was our miracle that she got better.”

Besides improving on the ivories Anna's hope for this next year is simple.

"To be healthy .. I don’t want to get sick once."

Anna has not gone back to her old school. She's being home schooled.. Mainly to keep her away from germs. Her family is fearful about Anna even getting a cold.
Miracle Girl