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.

Emily S.
NHL player Lukas Bengtsson

Natalie N.

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

Brandon W.

Albemarle County, VA
"I hope one day we can find a cure to this terrible disease."
Read Brandon's Story
Reporter Nicola Sommavilla
Ryan H.
Jennifer Capriati
Gerrit van Zijll
Musician Bill Chinnock
Jazz-Hip Hop Artist Pete Philly
Hannah O.

Robert Buelteman

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

Kari M.

Sonoma County, CA
"Lyme is life-changing, pain, pain, and more pain."
Read Kari's Story

Karine B.

San Francisco County
"I did not accept that Lyme would be stronger than me."
Read Karine's Story
Erin Walker
Netflix star Talia Jackson
Actress Martine McCutcheon
Thalia
Triathlete Mary Beth Ellis
Pro Golfer Gary Player
Melissa M.

Allie C.

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

Justin M.

Foxboro, MA
"Lyme is truly a debilitating disease, especially for those that can't afford it."
Read Justin's Story
James D.
Kirstie Alley
Alice Walker

Mary Kate Robertson

'Duck Dynasty' star
"I hope the seriousness of this disease will start to get out there."
Read Mary's Story
Pete Seeger
Rocker Dave Mustaine
Erin R.
Tom Seaver

Jonathan L.

Bernalillo County, NM
"Chronic Lyme is like stepping through the looking glass straight into Hell."
Read Jonathan's Story
Evan G.

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

Daryl Hall

Musician, Hall & Oates
"People don't understand. Lyme disease is serious stuff."
Read Daryl's Story
George W. Bush
Parker Posey

Heather F.

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

KÊTA

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

Laura H.

Shasta County, CA
"I am doing ok."
Read Laura's Story
Musician Elijah Blue Allman
Entrepreneur John Caudwell
Ben Stiller
Motorcross Racer Jimmy Decotis
Reality TV star Irene McGee
NHL player-coach Kirk Muller
Singer Marina Morgan
Yolanda Foster
MiLB Player Jordan Yallen

Mela L.

Siskiyou County, CA
"Hoping to help make the world a bit healthier!"
Read Mela's Story
Deanna T.

Emily L.

Norfolk County, MA
"Just because I am sick, doesn't mean I have to live a sick life."
Read Emily's Story
Matthew G.

Kevin S.

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

Kris Newby

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

Olivia A.

New York, NY
"I truly believe we can live in a world free of tick-borne illnesses"
Read Olivia's Story

Shymala H.

Contra Costa County, CA
"You are your own medical advocate ... Do NOT give up."
Read Shymala's Story

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
Debbie Gibson
Brooke Landau
Competitive miler Drew Hunter
Kathleen O.
Sierra R.

Shona C.

San Francisco County, CA
"We can help each other take this day by day."
Read Shona's Story
Fontayne F.
Jamie-Lynn Sigler
Painter John Bramblitt
Avril Lavigne

Dominic S.

Groningen, Netherlands
"Lyme Disease is real, it isn’t a joke."
Read Dominic's Story
Runner Robby A.
Ink Master Geary Morrill

Michelle M.

Suffolk County, NY
"If I was ever going to get better, I had to be my own advocate."
Read Michelle'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
Crystal Harris
Chef Kirk Haworth

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
Amanda K.
HS Tennis Star Camryn C.
Melissa D.
Nikki K.
Lindsay B.

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
News Anchor Gretchen Carlson
Tom J.
Writer David Michael Conner
Thaiadora D.
Comedian Akilah Hughes

Mark G.

San Diego, CA
"Lyme Disease has been the greatest teacher that I wouldn’t wish upon anyone."
Read Mark's Story
Ally Hilfiger
Topeka Mayor Michelle de la Isla
Tara C.

Michelle T.

Marin County, CA
"Are we gonna beat this? Absolutely. Can we find a cure? Absolutely."
Read Michelle's Story

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

Ben A.

Long Island, NY
"My healing journey started with antibiotics, but they only provided temporary relief."
Read Ben's Story
Karl B.
Pastor Ramon H.
Adventurer Ray Mears
Tasha R.
Olivia G.
Nenah Cherry
Wendy A.

Maisie M.

Washington, DC
"I am invisibly sick ... but I am at war with Lyme."
Read Maisie's Story
Olympian Kristen Sweetland
Olympian Christie Rampone
Kelly Osbourne

Susie M.

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

Blair B.

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

Meghan W.

Cortlandt Manor, NY
"CBD has helped me live in less pain from Lyme disease"
Read Meghan's Story
US Track Star Perry Fields

Triathlete Angela Naeth

British Columbia, Canada
"Treating lyme is like being on a roller coaster. "
Read Triathlete'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
Rebecca Wells
Chloe L.

Alan B.

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

Dana Parish

Singer Songwriter
"I had the CDC-recommended 21 days of Doxy... I fully believed I'd be okay."
Read Dana's Story
UFC fighter Jim Miller
Kathleen Hanna
Gregg K.

Tory C.

Sonoma County, CA
"I will fight this disease and I will get my life back! "
Read Tory's Story
Author Andrew McGuinness
Pres. Toomas Hendrik Ilves
Nelle F.

Sarah H.

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

Bella M.

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

Drew M.

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

Angeli Vanlaanen

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

Phil G.

Leelanau County, MI
"I’m finally starting to feel like myself again."
Read Phil's Story
Tori Foles
Jane Alexander
Mary-Margaret R.

Rachel H.

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

Christina C.

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

Izabela B.

Bergen County, NJ
"Listen to your body! When you think something is wrong, it probably is."
Read Izabela's Story
Author Holly Chamelli
Shania Twain
Author Porochista Khakpour
Sarah N.

Kelly W.

Plumas County, CA
"The journey through Lyme disease is a long and painful experience."
Read Kelly's Story
Claire E.
Actress Karen Allen
Ella B.
Legendary crooner José José
Christy Turlington
Enid H.

Marc L.

Falmouth, ME
"...do not give up and keep searching until you find a knowledgeable provider..."
Read Marc's Story

Trae V.

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

Marjorie H.

Morris County, NJ
"Seeking answers and advocating for ourselves and our families is important!"
Read Marjorie's Story
Richard Gere
Stephanie E.
Kris Kristofferson
Anwar Hadid

Seth D.

Columbia County, NY
"Has anyone else had a similar experience?"
Read Seth's Story
Amy Tan
Adrienne N.
“Real Housewife” Amber Marchese
Kelsey W.

Kayla D.

Harris County, TX
"It never occurred to me that something else could be going on."
Read Kayla's Story
USA Triathlete Peter Weaver
Elena Delle Donne
Lisa N.
Singer Songwriter Jesse Colin Young

Shelby A.

Butte County, CA
"My hope is that one day Lyme disease will be treated quickly and correctly…"
Read Shelby's Story
Lisa V.
Marisol Thomas
Colin M.
Erika S.
Cassie M.

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
Davis B.
Singer-songwriter Jesse Ruben
Patrick P.

Sarah D.

County Carlow, Ireland
"There is light at the end of the tunnel."
Read Sarah's Story

Matt Dawson

International Rugby star
"Ticks carry some really potent bacteria. Raising awareness is imperative.""
Read Matt'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
Singer-songwriter Ben Kyle
Whitfield W.
PGA Golfer Tim Simpson
Cassidy C.
Ruben Lee Sims
Gabe Magnotta
Kyle Morton
Peter Sarsgaard
Author Eric Karlan
Boxer Mikkel Kessler

David D.

Boundary County, ID
"I have been given a second chance at life."
Read David's Story
Dr. Kristin Honey
Suzanne P.
Nicole K.
Senator Kay Hagan
Calla J.

Brooke G.

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

Mary Sue A.

Monterey County, CA
"I will do everything in my power to help prevent this disease!"
Read Mary's Story
Walter H.
Congressman Berkley Bedell
Sarah M.

Jessica S.

Dalton, GA
"I’ve learned that healing is not just physical. It’s emotional, mental, and spiritual."
Read Jessica's Story
Tessa Wallace

Katherine H.

Sonoma County, CA
"The miracle happened when we were at the darkest point in Lyme disease."
Read Katherine's Story
PGA Champion Jimmy Walker
Para-Olympian Mel Clarke

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
Author Jordan Fisher Smith
Pop artist Sonali Argade

Melinda B.

Davie, FL
"Lyme disease didn’t knock. It invaded."
Read Melinda's Story
HGTV designer Genevieve Gorder

Laure W.

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

Bart Yasso

Competitive Racer & Running Legend
" I can do this. I can beat this thing."
Read Bart's Story

Lia G.

Alameda County, CA
"Lyme disease: it’s real, folks."
Read Lia's Story

Esmé Weijun Wang

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

Camille A.

Spouse, mother, and caregiver
"The amount of suffering [from Lyme disease] is inexcusable!"
Read Camille's Story
Actor/Producer Ariel Stein
Stephanie S.
Singer-songwriter Jared Dylan
Soccer star Karel Poborsky

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
Olivia S.
Voice Contestant Ryan Quinn
RHONY star Ramona Singer
Sharon W.
Nancy D.
Brenton Tyler Hoffman

Louis S.

San Mateo County, CA
"My mom says she remembers the day my personality came back."
Read Louis's Story
Outdoor explorer Lee Farmer
Susan B.

Alix M.

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

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
Tennis pro Samantha Stosur

Andrew G.

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

Briana B.

Butte County, CA
"I am ready to take back my life."
Read Briana's Story
Dancer Brendan Saye
Nichola M.

Dave Skidmore

Lehigh County, PA
"These days most people know someone with Lyme disease. That's a lot of someones."
Read Dave's Story
Breanna R.
Marla Maples
Samantha P.
BBC Reporter Allan Little
Scott A.
Eddie S.
Grace W.
Bella Hadid