It only appeared to be a cold at first during the Christmas holidays in 2004, but Ed Sperling’s symptoms later caused him to miss an entire year of school and doctors in Alberta were unable to properly treat him, say his parents.

The 19-year-old, who is now studying at the University of Alberta, was diagnosed with Lyme Disease, a rare bacterial infection that causes nervous system disorders if it’s not properly treated.

His parents believe he contracted the disease when he was 15 in California, where the family lived before moving back to Edmonton.

Sperling, however, was not diagnosed by doctors in Alberta because the criteria to diagnose patients with the disease are “unrealistically stringent” since the illness is not common here, said Sperling’s father, Felix.

Since Alberta doctors did not treat Sterling in time with antibiotics, he fell into a catatonic state, his parents said. They frantically sent a sample of his blood for a diagnosis to doctors in California.

“I would freeze, and I would have a total lack of appetite,” said Sperling who admitted to being told by people that he was faking his illness.

“I was totally disabled, so I couldn’t walk to school.”

Alberta Liberal Leader Kevin Taft, who represents the Sperlings in Edmonton-Riverview, called on the Tory government yesterday to work with the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation to begin a formal public review of Lyme disease in Alberta.

“I’m sure there are a lot of people out there who are not filling those critera (for a diagnosis) and they are getting very, very ill,” Felix said.

Taft introduced the family in session yesterday and introduced a private member’s statement about the disease.