01 Feb Undiagnosed The Film
By Katia Moritz | February 1, 2022
Dr. Katia Moritz (left) sharing a joke with undiagnosed patient Jeremy Hobbs (right) during an interview for UNDIAGNOSED
Having been a health care provider for decades, I thought I was prepared to navigate the health care system when I became sick, but I quickly realized that the system was not prepared for undiagnosed patients like me. Looking to find a community, I stumbled upon a hidden epidemic of long-term undiagnosed patients in the same situation. It was then that I decided to embark on what would become a 9-year journey to tell the stories of Undiagnosed families.
Having no idea how I was going to do this, I asked a filmmaker couple that I had recently met- Nick Miller and Crystal Shearman- to join me. Overnight we found our heroes and recognized that documenting their stories would allow us to validate their struggles and the very fact that they exist. Finding ways to help them and to save their critical health information became our life’s mission. The discovery of new diseases, and perhaps new treatments for known diseases, hides in the mystery of their conditions. Having a database and repository for undiagnosed cases is crucial to advancing medicine for all of humanity.
Our documentary is called UNDIAGNOSED, and I can’t wait to share it with everyone. It was created to be the vehicle to drive our fight. This film will allow us to show the world what it means to be on a diagnostic odyssey, to experience our uncertainties and everyday struggles. So, the next time you or someone you love says that they are Undiagnosed, people will know exactly what that means.
This movie will hopefully put the Undiagnosed population on the map, these stories will also help us fight for remarkable cutting-edge science and allow compelling human drama to shine a light on a widespread but little-known issue devastating families across the world: undiagnosed illnesses. We will also be able to show why we need to support a global specimen repository for patients who die Undiagnosed, so all our information helps with future generations. So please join us to make this dream come true. You can participate by donating to help get this movie over the post-production finish line, or by joining our Outreach Team- we are looking for skilled writers, PR, social media publicists, fundraisers, and just general movers & shakers!