Ticks and Lyme disease are far too common and not at all discriminating. According to the most recent CDC statistics, there are nearly 500,000 new US cases of Lyme disease each year and more than half a million Americans suffering from long-term or late-stage Lyme disease. Some are fortunate to be diagnosed and treated early, but for some the path to a cure is long and challenging. Here we share some powerful stories of resilience and hope in the face of this debilitating and perplexing disease.

Are you interested in sharing your story? We’d like to hear from you.

Camille A.

Spouse, mother, and caregiver
"The amount of suffering [from Lyme disease] is inexcusable!"
Read Camille's Story
Outdoor explorer Lee Farmer

Mary Sue A.

Monterey County, CA
"I will do everything in my power to help prevent this disease!"
Read Mary's Story

Daryl Hall

Musician, Hall & Oates
"People don't understand. Lyme disease is serious stuff."
Read Daryl's Story
Pres. Toomas Hendrik Ilves
Grace W.

Phil G.

Leelanau County, MI
"I’m finally starting to feel like myself again."
Read Phil's Story

Jonathan L.

Bernalillo County, NM
"Chronic Lyme is like stepping through the looking glass straight into Hell."
Read Jonathan's Story
Mary-Margaret R.

Blair B.

Oconto County, Wisconsin
"Lyme disease changed my relationship with the outdoors"
Read Blair's Story
Nelle F.

Kayla D.

Harris County, TX
"It never occurred to me that something else could be going on."
Read Kayla's Story
Richard Gere
Olivia G.
Ashley Olsen

Emily F.

Medfield, MA
"It felt like each day I was adding new symptoms that had nothing to do with the last..."
Read Emily's Story
Writer David Michael Conner

Natalie N.

Lee County, FL
"I'm 22 and living like a hermit... Lyme has taken so much from me."
Read Natalie's Story
Congressman Berkley Bedell
Breanna R.

Alix M.

Santa Clara County, CA
"Chronic Lyme is a living death"
Read Alix's Story
Actress Martine McCutcheon
James D.

Sarah H.

Williamson County, TN
"I had no idea the tests were so inaccurate."
Read Sarah's Story
Ruben Lee Sims
Actor/Producer Ariel Stein

Joan A.

Chevy Chase, MD
"I would say if you have a bite—get to the right doctor for testing. Don’t rely on the CDC tests."
Read Joan's Story
Cassie M.

Bart Yasso

Competitive Racer & Running Legend
" I can do this. I can beat this thing."
Read Bart's Story
Melissa M.
Pro Golfer Gary Player
Singer-songwriter Ben Kyle
Tom Seaver
Nicole K.
Kirstie Alley
Adrienne N.
Kathleen Hanna

Dominic S.

Groningen, Netherlands
"Lyme Disease is real, it isn’t a joke."
Read Dominic's Story
Olympian Kristen Sweetland

Tracy M.

Los Angeles County, CA
"I want to share my story, spread awareness about Lyme and give hope to those in pain."
Read Tracy's Story
Tom J.
Tessa Wallace
HS Tennis Star Camryn C.
Author Eric Karlan

Elet Hall

Freerunner, Parkour Athlete, and American Ninja Warrior
"I just want to get my body to a point where I can do what I want to do."
Read Elet's Story
Chloe L.

Milena G.

Los Angeles, CA
" I was living in a body no longer my own, one ravaged by Lyme."
Read Milena's Story

Shona C.

San Francisco County, CA
"We can help each other take this day by day."
Read Shona's Story
Motorcross Racer Jimmy Decotis

Robert Buelteman

San Mateo County, CA
"I knew something was very wrong."
Read Robert's Story
Ryan H.

Karine B.

San Francisco County
"I did not accept that Lyme would be stronger than me."
Read Karine's Story

Briana B.

Butte County, CA
"I am ready to take back my life."
Read Briana's Story
Sarah M.
Debbie Gibson

Andrew G.

Solano County, CA
"I believe my son, Andrew, was killed by Lyme."
Read Andrew's Story
Rocker Dave Mustaine

Kari M.

Sonoma County, CA
"Lyme is life-changing, pain, pain, and more pain."
Read Kari's Story
Kelly Osbourne
Elena Delle Donne

Shelby A.

Butte County, CA
"My hope is that one day Lyme disease will be treated quickly and correctly…"
Read Shelby's Story

Brandon W.

Albemarle County, VA
"I hope one day we can find a cure to this terrible disease."
Read Brandon's Story
Comedian Akilah Hughes

Kris Newby

Santa Clara County, CA
"It is unhealthy for a society to use language that blames the victim."
Read Kris's Story
Reporter Nicola Sommavilla
BBC Reporter Allan Little
Samantha P.

Ari S.

San Mateo County, CA
"Don’t try to do it on your own. It’s too hard. Get help."
Read Ari's Story
Nichola M.

Sharane D.

Maricopa County, AZ
"I am going to do what I can to make sure no one else has to go through my nightmare."
Read Sharane's Story

Ben A.

Long Island, NY
"My healing journey started with antibiotics, but they only provided temporary relief."
Read Ben's Story
Amy Tan

Mary Kate Robertson

'Duck Dynasty' star
"I hope the seriousness of this disease will start to get out there."
Read Mary's Story

Dana Parish

Singer Songwriter
"I had the CDC-recommended 21 days of Doxy... I fully believed I'd be okay."
Read Dana's Story
Netflix star Talia Jackson
Singer-songwriter Jesse Ruben
NHL player-coach Kirk Muller
Sierra R.

Mela L.

Siskiyou County, CA
"Hoping to help make the world a bit healthier!"
Read Mela's Story

Alan B.

Middlesex County, MA
"At some point, we will all be liberated from this nightmare."
Read Alan's Story

Tory C.

Sonoma County, CA
"I will fight this disease and I will get my life back! "
Read Tory's Story

Maisie M.

Washington, DC
"I am invisibly sick ... but I am at war with Lyme."
Read Maisie's Story
Jane Alexander
Painter John Bramblitt
Gabe Magnotta
Entrepreneur John Caudwell
Anwar Hadid
Olympian Christie Rampone
Gregg K.
Erika S.
Eddie S.
Deanna T.

David D.

Boundary County, ID
"I have been given a second chance at life."
Read David's Story
Pastor Ramon H.
Actress Karen Allen
Cassidy C.

Grace S.

Hilliard, OH
"I do not remember being bitten by a tick, so I felt it was impossible that I could have Lyme."
Read Grace's Story
Author Holly Chamelli

Trae V.

San Mateo County, CA
"Everyone knows somebody with Lyme — they just don’t know it yet."
Read Trae's Story
Chef Kirk Haworth
Musician Bill Chinnock

Rachel H.

Santa Clara County, CA
"I no longer see my health journey as a curse."
Read Rachel's Story

Drew M.

Portola Valley, CA
"I think Lyme most of all is a mental battle."
Read Drew's Story
Parker Posey

Marjorie H.

Morris County, NJ
"Seeking answers and advocating for ourselves and our families is important!"
Read Marjorie's Story
Crystal Harris
Claire E.
Marla Maples

Meghan W.

Cortlandt Manor, NY
"CBD has helped me live in less pain from Lyme disease"
Read Meghan's Story
Melissa D.
RHONY star Ramona Singer
Whitfield W.

Triathlete Angela Naeth

British Columbia, Canada
"Treating lyme is like being on a roller coaster. "
Read Triathlete's Story
Musician Elijah Blue Allman
Brenton Tyler Hoffman
Nikki K.

KÊTA

Singer/Songwriter
"People need to know. Lyme is the fastest-growing infectious disease in the world!"
Read KÊTA's Story
Stephanie E.
Nancy D.
Patrick P.
Brooke Landau
USA Triathlete Peter Weaver
Rebecca Wells
Competitive miler Drew Hunter
Pete Seeger
Gerrit van Zijll
Reality TV star Irene McGee

Laure W.

San Mateo County, CA
"I felt like I lost my life for almost two years..."
Read Laure's Story

Allie C.

Westchester County, NY
"It's time to make some noise."
Read Allie's Story
Marisol Thomas
US Track Star Perry Fields
Tori Foles
Pop artist Sonali Argade

Louis S.

San Mateo County, CA
"My mom says she remembers the day my personality came back."
Read Louis's Story
Ella B.
Ally Hilfiger
Topeka Mayor Michelle de la Isla

Susie M.

San Diego County, CA
"None of the physicians I saw put it together either."
Read Susie's Story

Lia G.

Alameda County, CA
"Lyme disease: it’s real, folks."
Read Lia's Story
Senator Kay Hagan
Kelsey W.

Katherine H.

Sonoma County, CA
"The miracle happened when we were at the darkest point in Lyme disease."
Read Katherine's Story
Singer-songwriter Jared Dylan
Avril Lavigne
Author Jordan Fisher Smith
Peter Sarsgaard
Jennifer Capriati
Alice Walker
Yolanda Foster
Dancer Brendan Saye
Para-Olympian Mel Clarke
Nenah Cherry

Michelle T.

Marin County, CA
"Are we gonna beat this? Absolutely. Can we find a cure? Absolutely."
Read Michelle's Story
Jazz-Hip Hop Artist Pete Philly
Ben Stiller
Fontayne F.

Angeli Vanlaanen

Professional Freeskiier
"My story of going years undiagnosed is all too common."
Read Angeli's Story
PGA Golfer Tim Simpson
Calla J.

Emily L.

Norfolk County, MA
"Just because I am sick, doesn't mean I have to live a sick life."
Read Emily's Story
Jamie-Lynn Sigler
Kris Kristofferson

Heather F.

Montgomery Country, MD
"Do not doubt yourself, but mostly, do not give up hope."
Read Heather's Story

Kelly W.

Plumas County, CA
"The journey through Lyme disease is a long and painful experience."
Read Kelly's Story
Kyle Morton

Bella M.

Lee County, FL
"This is not easy. Life gets harder every day."
Read Bella's Story

Justin M.

Foxboro, MA
"Lyme is truly a debilitating disease, especially for those that can't afford it."
Read Justin's Story
Amanda K.

Kevin S.

Wake County, NC
"You are never beyond hope."
Read Kevin's Story
George W. Bush
Jocelyne B.
Thaiadora D.
Dr. Kristin Honey
Wendy A.
Adventurer Ray Mears

Dave Skidmore

Lehigh County, PA
"These days most people know someone with Lyme disease. That's a lot of someones."
Read Dave's Story
Tasha R.
Christy Turlington
Matthew G.

Matt Dawson

International Rugby star
"Ticks carry some really potent bacteria. Raising awareness is imperative.""
Read Matt's Story
UFC fighter Jim Miller
Bella Hadid
Tennis pro Samantha Stosur

Sarah D.

County Carlow, Ireland
"There is light at the end of the tunnel."
Read Sarah's Story
Lindsay B.
Legendary crooner José José
Davis B.
Colin M.

Tommy F.

Middlesex County, MA
"I hope by sharing my story I can provide some insight into the daily life of this disease."
Read Tommy's Story
Emily S.
Lisa V.

Seth D.

Columbia County, NY
"Has anyone else had a similar experience?"
Read Seth's Story

Mark G.

San Diego, CA
"Lyme Disease has been the greatest teacher that I wouldn’t wish upon anyone."
Read Mark's Story
Danie V.
Ink Master Geary Morrill
Triathlete Mary Beth Ellis
NHL player Lukas Bengtsson
Sharon W.
Hannah O.
Walter H.
Evan G.
Amy W.
Runner Robby A.
Erin R.
Author Porochista Khakpour
Susan B.

Laura H.

Shasta County, CA
"I am doing ok."
Read Laura's Story
Tara C.
Olivia S.

Alex H.

Fresno County, CA
"One day, I hope that no family goes through what ours did. For now, the first step is prevention"
Read Alex's Story

Shymala H.

Contra Costa County, CA
"You are your own medical advocate ... Do NOT give up."
Read Shymala's Story
MiLB Player Jordan Yallen
Voice Contestant Ryan Quinn
Shania Twain
Justin Bieber

Christina K.

San Diego / Joshua Tree, CA
"I have made a conscious decision to choose an attitude and intention of thriving."
Read Christina's Story

Christina C.

Alameda County, CA
"Many people know very little about Lyme. I'm going to change that."
Read Christina's Story

Esmé Weijun Wang

San Francisco County, CA
"I'm chronically ill and afraid of being lazy."
Read Esmé's Story

Neil Spector, MD

Oncologist, Author, and Lyme patient
"I was in the active peak of my life, but it was like I was an old man."
Read Neil's Story
News Anchor Gretchen Carlson

Michelle M.

Suffolk County, NY
"If I was ever going to get better, I had to be my own advocate."
Read Michelle's Story
PGA Champion Jimmy Walker
Stephanie S.
Author Andrew McGuinness
Sarah N.
Singer Marina Morgan
Boxer Mikkel Kessler
“Real Housewife” Amber Marchese

Brooke G.

New York, NY
"We get stronger by working together for greater health and wellness."
Read Brooke's Story
Enid H.
Suzanne P.
Singer Songwriter Jesse Colin Young
Artist Peter Williams

Izabela B.

Bergen County, NJ
"Listen to your body! When you think something is wrong, it probably is."
Read Izabela's Story
Thalia
Soccer star Karel Poborsky
HGTV designer Genevieve Gorder
Erin Walker
Karl B.
Kathleen O.
Lisa N.
Scott A.