WICHITA, Kansas, Nov. 7, 2007 – A five-year-old girl from Sterling, Kansas, is infected with E. coli. How she got it is still a mystery and the young girl still has a long road to recovery at a Wichita hospital.

Aubrey Anderson was flown to Wesley Medical Center Tuesday, and she could be hospitalized another three to six weeks.

"Today was the first good day that we've had," Karen Anderson, Aubrey's mother, said. "We actually saw her smile for the first time in a week, so that was good."

Karen and Bill Anderson hope the hard days are behind them. On Sunday, their youngest daughter Aubrey came down with flu-like symptoms. A day later, doctors realized she had an illness caused by E. coli.

"I think it stands for hemolytic-uremic, hemo meaning the blood and uremic the kidneys are the main two areas that it attacks," Bill Anderson, Aubrey's father, said. "Actually the E. coli probably left her body a couple of days after she got it, but the toxics it left behind are what wreaks a lot of havoc on the body."

The Andersons don't know how Aubrey got E. coli, but their two older daughters were not affected and doctors say it isn't contagious.

Aubrey's kidneys have shut down, but the Anderson's are confident she will recover.

"I think there is more than a 95 percent chance that she will come out of this without any residual affects," Bill said.

Aubrey does have a long road ahead. We're told she could be in the hospital another three to six weeks.

Karen is a nurse; still she's shocked her daughter's body deteriorated so quickly.

"Friday we were painting her nails outside, and jumping on the trampoline," Karen said.

Friends have started a fund at the Hutchinson Credit Union to help pay for Aubrey's medical bills.