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.

Tasha R.

Kari M.

Sonoma County, CA
"Lyme is life-changing, pain, pain, and more pain."
Read Kari's Story
Deanna T.
Alice Walker
HS Tennis Star Camryn C.
Ruben Lee Sims
Lisa N.
Fontayne F.

Shelby A.

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

Seth D.

Columbia County, NY
"Has anyone else had a similar experience?"
Read Seth's Story
BBC Reporter Allan Little
Anwar Hadid
Pastor Ramon H.

Dave Skidmore

Lehigh County, PA
"These days most people know someone with Lyme disease. That's a lot of someones."
Read Dave's Story
Richard Gere

Karine B.

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

Susie M.

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

Phil G.

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

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
Legendary crooner José José
Painter John Bramblitt

Laura H.

Shasta County, CA
"I am doing ok."
Read Laura's Story

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
Kathleen Hanna
Erika S.
Author Jordan Fisher Smith
Nicole K.
Outdoor explorer Lee Farmer
Amanda K.
Pres. Toomas Hendrik Ilves

Izabela B.

Bergen County, NJ
"Listen to your body! When you think something is wrong, it probably is."
Read Izabela's Story

Sarah D.

County Carlow, Ireland
"There is light at the end of the tunnel."
Read Sarah's Story
Kyle Morton
Actress Karen Allen

Blair B.

Oconto County, Wisconsin
"Lyme disease changed my relationship with the outdoors"
Read Blair's Story
Samantha P.
Marisol Thomas

Lia G.

Alameda County, CA
"Lyme disease: it’s real, folks."
Read Lia's Story
Sarah M.
Reality TV star Irene McGee
Boxer Mikkel Kessler
Nenah Cherry

Alix M.

Santa Clara County, CA
"Chronic Lyme is a living death"
Read Alix's Story
Brooke Landau

Angeli Vanlaanen

Professional Freeskiier
"My story of going years undiagnosed is all too common."
Read Angeli's Story
Jennifer Capriati
Amy Tan

Tory C.

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

Michelle M.

Suffolk County, NY
"If I was ever going to get better, I had to be my own advocate."
Read Michelle's Story
Hannah O.

Briana B.

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

Mary Kate Robertson

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

Natalie N.

Lee County, FL
"I'm 22 and living like a hermit... Lyme has taken so much from me."
Read Natalie's Story
MiLB Player Jordan Yallen
US Track Star Perry Fields
Amy W.

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

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
Tessa Wallace
Olivia G.

Michelle T.

Marin County, CA
"Are we gonna beat this? Absolutely. Can we find a cure? Absolutely."
Read Michelle's Story
Olympian Christie Rampone
USA Triathlete Peter Weaver

Heather F.

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

Trae V.

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

Dominic S.

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

Maisie M.

Washington, DC
"I am invisibly sick ... but I am at war with Lyme."
Read Maisie's Story

KÊTA

Singer/Songwriter
"People need to know. Lyme is the fastest-growing infectious disease in the world!"
Read KÊTA's Story
Colin M.

Triathlete Angela Naeth

British Columbia, Canada
"Treating lyme is like being on a roller coaster. "
Read Triathlete's Story
Claire E.
“Real Housewife” Amber Marchese
Author Holly Chamelli

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
Motorcross Racer Jimmy Decotis
Singer-songwriter Jared Dylan
Para-Olympian Mel Clarke
RHONY star Ramona Singer
Comedian Akilah Hughes
Melissa D.
Pete Seeger
Singer-songwriter Ben Kyle

Bella M.

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

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
Debbie Gibson
Eddie S.
Ink Master Geary Morrill
Author Andrew McGuinness
Matthew G.

Meghan W.

Cortlandt Manor, NY
"CBD has helped me live in less pain from Lyme disease"
Read Meghan's Story
Marla Maples

Laure W.

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

Marjorie H.

Morris County, NJ
"Seeking answers and advocating for ourselves and our families is important!"
Read Marjorie's Story
Musician Bill Chinnock
Netflix star Talia Jackson

Allie C.

Westchester County, NY
"It's time to make some noise."
Read Allie's Story

Camille A.

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

Brooke G.

New York, NY
"We get stronger by working together for greater health and wellness."
Read Brooke's Story
Wendy A.

Kris Newby

Santa Clara County, CA
"It is unhealthy for a society to use language that blames the victim."
Read Kris's Story

Esmé Weijun Wang

San Francisco County, CA
"I'm chronically ill and afraid of being lazy."
Read Esmé's Story
Christy Turlington
PGA Golfer Tim Simpson

Kelly W.

Plumas County, CA
"The journey through Lyme disease is a long and painful experience."
Read Kelly's Story
Bella Hadid
Karl B.
Lisa V.

Shona C.

San Francisco County, CA
"We can help each other take this day by day."
Read Shona's Story
Runner Robby A.
Gerrit van Zijll

Andrew G.

Solano County, CA
"I believe my son, Andrew, was killed by Lyme."
Read Andrew's Story
Olivia S.
Danie V.
Sierra R.
Kirstie Alley
Reporter Nicola Sommavilla
Emily S.

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
George W. Bush
Dr. Kristin Honey
Senator Kay Hagan

Emily L.

Norfolk County, MA
"Just because I am sick, doesn't mean I have to live a sick life."
Read Emily'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
Breanna R.
Kelly Osbourne
Jazz-Hip Hop Artist Pete Philly

Ben A.

Long Island, NY
"My healing journey started with antibiotics, but they only provided temporary relief."
Read Ben's Story
Triathlete Mary Beth Ellis

Mela L.

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

Justin M.

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

Sarah H.

Williamson County, TN
"I had no idea the tests were so inaccurate."
Read Sarah's Story

Mary Sue A.

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

Matt Dawson

International Rugby star
"Ticks carry some really potent bacteria. Raising awareness is imperative.""
Read Matt's Story
Actress Martine McCutcheon
Thaiadora D.

Shymala H.

Contra Costa County, CA
"You are your own medical advocate ... Do NOT give up."
Read Shymala's Story
Cassie M.
Kelsey W.
News Anchor Gretchen Carlson

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
Yolanda Foster
Tom Seaver

Drew M.

Portola Valley, CA
"I think Lyme most of all is a mental battle."
Read Drew's Story
Actor/Producer Ariel Stein
Ben Stiller
Entrepreneur John Caudwell
Tara C.
Ryan H.
Brenton Tyler Hoffman
Erin Walker
Nancy D.

Bart Yasso

Competitive Racer & Running Legend
" I can do this. I can beat this thing."
Read Bart's Story
Voice Contestant Ryan Quinn
Nelle F.

David D.

Boundary County, ID
"I have been given a second chance at life."
Read David's Story
Rebecca Wells
Walter H.

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
HGTV designer Genevieve Gorder
Kathleen O.
Stephanie E.
Pop artist Sonali Argade
Sharon W.
Erin R.

Katherine H.

Sonoma County, CA
"The miracle happened when we were at the darkest point in Lyme disease."
Read Katherine's Story

Robert Buelteman

San Mateo County, CA
"I knew something was very wrong."
Read Robert's Story
Justin Bieber
Crystal Harris
Elena Delle Donne
Olympian Kristen Sweetland
Soccer star Karel Poborsky
Writer David Michael Conner
NHL player-coach Kirk Muller

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

Milena G.

Los Angeles, CA
" I was living in a body no longer my own, one ravaged by Lyme."
Read Milena's Story
UFC fighter Jim Miller
Tom J.
Jane Alexander

Jonathan L.

Bernalillo County, NM
"Chronic Lyme is like stepping through the looking glass straight into Hell."
Read Jonathan's Story
Patrick P.
Enid H.
Congressman Berkley Bedell

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
Parker Posey
Gregg K.
Pro Golfer Gary Player
Singer Songwriter Jesse Colin Young
James D.

Mark G.

San Diego, CA
"Lyme Disease has been the greatest teacher that I wouldn’t wish upon anyone."
Read Mark's Story
NHL player Lukas Bengtsson
Grace W.
Gabe Magnotta
Adventurer Ray Mears
Shania Twain
Davis B.
Thalia
Whitfield W.
Evan G.
Kris Kristofferson

Alan B.

Middlesex County, MA
"At some point, we will all be liberated from this nightmare."
Read Alan's Story
Suzanne P.
Musician Elijah Blue Allman
Peter Sarsgaard
PGA Champion Jimmy Walker
Chef Kirk Haworth
Ashley Olsen

Louis S.

San Mateo County, CA
"My mom says she remembers the day my personality came back."
Read Louis's Story
Stephanie S.
Chloe L.

Christina C.

Alameda County, CA
"Many people know very little about Lyme. I'm going to change that."
Read Christina's Story
Jamie-Lynn Sigler
Topeka Mayor Michelle de la Isla
Melissa M.
Competitive miler Drew Hunter

Kayla D.

Harris County, TX
"It never occurred to me that something else could be going on."
Read Kayla's Story

Kevin S.

Wake County, NC
"You are never beyond hope."
Read Kevin's Story
Calla J.

Daryl Hall

Musician, Hall & Oates
"People don't understand. Lyme disease is serious stuff."
Read Daryl's Story
Ella B.
Tori Foles

Rachel H.

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

Brandon W.

Albemarle County, VA
"I hope one day we can find a cure to this terrible disease."
Read Brandon's Story
Author Porochista Khakpour
Singer-songwriter Jesse Ruben
Mary-Margaret R.
Susan B.
Artist Peter Williams
Nikki K.