Girls with Mysterious Illness Appear on Today Show
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It has been a medical mystery for close to four months. A group of female students from a Genesee County high school suddenly began showing Tourette-like symptoms back in November.
Today, their story is gaining national attention.
Two girls from LeRoy High School appeared on the NBC's Today Show Tuesday morning to tell their story of a sudden onset of tics and body shakes.
Thera Sanchez and Katie Krautwurst say they both used to live normal lives until they began experiencing seizures and tics that have brought their lives to a screeching halt.
Sanchez, who says she was on the honor roll, a cheerleader, and an artist, can now no longer enjoy the things she used to love to do as she suffers from an unknown medical issue.
"I used to go to art class. I used to go to two art classes every day. Now, I’m not in school," said Sanchez.
The school partnered with the county and state health departments, as well as the CDC, to investigate if the condition was infectious or caused by environmental conditions.
State health experts say the symptoms the girls were experiencing could have been brought on or heightened by stress or a traumatic situation.
Though the health department says the students have been diagnosed and treated by doctors, they couldn't reveal exactly what caused the mysterious symptoms because of health privacy laws.