Chesapeake girl can't stop sneezing

CHESAPEAKE -- The only time 12-year-old Lauren Johnson stops sneezing is when she finally falls asleep each night.

Otherwise, she sneezes as many as 16 times a minute and no doctor has been able to explain why.

The non-stop sneezing began a week ago as the Chesapeake girl began to recover from a cold.

Her mother, Lynn Johnson, has spent the past week going to a variety of doctors looking for a diagnosis and relief for her daughter.

Lauren sneezes as she sits with her mother at their home.

"Life for her has stopped," Ms. Johnson said.

Even a hypnotist couldn’t stop the sneezes.

Doctors at Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters are working on the case, but a diagnosis remains elusive.

Lauren has not been able to go to school and has difficulty eating between the sneezes.

"The hard part is missing school and when people stare," Lauren said.

Ms. Johnson hopes telling her daughter's story will help find a specialist who knows how to treat her daughter's condition.