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.

Cassidy C.
Susan B.
Evan G.
Gabe Magnotta
Thaiadora D.

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
Tom Seaver
Olivia G.
Kris Kristofferson
Breanna R.
Netflix star Talia Jackson
Debbie Gibson
Olympian Kristen Sweetland
Amy W.
PGA Golfer Tim Simpson
Erin R.
Entrepreneur John Caudwell
Singer-songwriter Jesse Ruben

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
Motorcross Racer Jimmy Decotis

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

Allie C.

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

Bella M.

Lee County, FL
"This is not easy. Life gets harder every day."
Read Bella's Story
Adrienne N.
Elena Delle Donne
Fontayne F.
Jamie-Lynn Sigler
Scott A.
Jazz-Hip Hop Artist Pete Philly
Musician Elijah Blue Allman

Tory C.

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

Bart Yasso

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

Angeli Vanlaanen

Professional Freeskiier
"My story of going years undiagnosed is all too common."
Read Angeli's Story
HS Tennis Star Camryn C.
Topeka Mayor Michelle de la Isla
Kathleen Hanna

Kelly W.

Plumas County, CA
"The journey through Lyme disease is a long and painful experience."
Read Kelly'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
Author Eric Karlan

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
Nichola M.

Lia G.

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

Katherine H.

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

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
Marisol Thomas
Singer-songwriter Ben Kyle
Wendy A.
Bella Hadid
Nikki K.

Ben A.

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

Seth D.

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

Dave Skidmore

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

David D.

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

Shymala H.

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

Louis S.

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

Matt Dawson

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

Kari M.

Sonoma County, CA
"Lyme is life-changing, pain, pain, and more pain."
Read Kari's Story
Singer-songwriter Jared Dylan
News Anchor Gretchen Carlson
Chloe L.

Drew M.

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

Michelle T.

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

Daryl Hall

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

Shona C.

San Francisco County, CA
"We can help each other take this day by day."
Read Shona's Story
Jane Alexander
US Track Star Perry Fields
Soccer star Karel Poborsky
Suzanne P.
PGA Champion Jimmy Walker
Tori Foles
Justin Bieber

Emily L.

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

Jonathan L.

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

Phil G.

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

Christina C.

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

Trae V.

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

Mela L.

Siskiyou County, CA
"Hoping to help make the world a bit healthier!"
Read Mela's Story
Author Andrew McGuinness
Calla J.
Colin M.

Olivia A.

New York, NY
"I truly believe we can live in a world free of tick-borne illnesses"
Read Olivia's Story
Ashley Olsen
Brenton Tyler Hoffman
Rebecca Wells
Erin Walker
RHONY star Ramona Singer
Tom J.
Danie V.
Avril Lavigne
Amanda K.
Gregg K.
Christy Turlington

Camille A.

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

Kevin S.

Wake County, NC
"You are never beyond hope."
Read Kevin's Story
Deanna T.

Susie M.

San Diego County, CA
"None of the physicians I saw put it together either."
Read Susie's Story
Stephanie E.
Richard Gere
Ink Master Geary Morrill
Kyle Morton

Meghan W.

Cortlandt Manor, NY
"CBD has helped me live in less pain from Lyme disease"
Read Meghan's Story
Mary-Margaret R.

Mary Sue A.

Monterey County, CA
"I will do everything in my power to help prevent this disease!"
Read Mary's Story
Peter Sarsgaard
Runner Robby A.
BBC Reporter Allan Little
Adventurer Ray Mears
Tara C.
Ella B.
Voice Contestant Ryan Quinn
Ryan H.
Jocelyne B.

Karine B.

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

Brooke G.

New York, NY
"We get stronger by working together for greater health and wellness."
Read Brooke's Story
Kelly Osbourne
Sarah N.
Olivia S.
Kathleen O.

Brandon W.

Albemarle County, VA
"I hope one day we can find a cure to this terrible disease."
Read Brandon's Story
Pete Seeger
HGTV designer Genevieve Gorder

Michelle M.

Suffolk County, NY
"If I was ever going to get better, I had to be my own advocate."
Read Michelle's Story
Rocker Dave Mustaine
Actress Martine McCutcheon

Kris Newby

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

Rachel H.

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

Blair B.

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

Triathlete Angela Naeth

British Columbia, Canada
"Treating lyme is like being on a roller coaster. "
Read Triathlete's Story
Sierra R.

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
Marla Maples

Izabela B.

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

Milena G.

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

Alix M.

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

Heather F.

Montgomery Country, MD
"Do not doubt yourself, but mostly, do not give up hope."
Read Heather's Story
USA Triathlete Peter Weaver
Olympian Christie Rampone

Laura H.

Shasta County, CA
"I am doing ok."
Read Laura's Story
Tessa Wallace
Singer Marina Morgan
Samantha P.
Author Holly Chamelli

Sarah D.

County Carlow, Ireland
"There is light at the end of the tunnel."
Read Sarah's Story
Actor/Producer Ariel Stein

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
Lisa V.
Reality TV star Irene McGee
Gerrit van Zijll

Laure W.

San Mateo County, CA
"I felt like I lost my life for almost two years..."
Read Laure's Story
Walter H.
Kirstie Alley
Musician Bill Chinnock

Marjorie H.

Morris County, NJ
"Seeking answers and advocating for ourselves and our families is important!"
Read Marjorie's Story
Comedian Akilah Hughes
Eddie S.
Pro Golfer Gary Player

Justin M.

Foxboro, MA
"Lyme is truly a debilitating disease, especially for those that can't afford it."
Read Justin's Story
Author Jordan Fisher Smith
Stephanie S.
Matthew G.
Lisa N.

Esmé Weijun Wang

San Francisco County, CA
"I'm chronically ill and afraid of being lazy."
Read Esmé's Story
Nancy D.
Dancer Brendan Saye
Ally Hilfiger
Pres. Toomas Hendrik Ilves

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
MiLB Player Jordan Yallen
Anwar Hadid
Actress Karen Allen
Crystal Harris
Karl B.

Mark G.

San Diego, CA
"Lyme Disease has been the greatest teacher that I wouldn’t wish upon anyone."
Read Mark's Story
Painter John Bramblitt
Artist Peter Williams
Cassie M.
Hannah O.
Amy Tan
Nicole K.
Triathlete Mary Beth Ellis

Dana Parish

Singer Songwriter
"I had the CDC-recommended 21 days of Doxy... I fully believed I'd be okay."
Read Dana's Story

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
Pop artist Sonali Argade
Melissa D.

Natalie N.

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

Alan B.

Middlesex County, MA
"At some point, we will all be liberated from this nightmare."
Read Alan's Story
Parker Posey
Singer Songwriter Jesse Colin Young
Legendary crooner José José
Para-Olympian Mel Clarke
UFC fighter Jim Miller
Lindsay B.

Shelby A.

Butte County, CA
"My hope is that one day Lyme disease will be treated quickly and correctly…"
Read Shelby's Story
NHL player Lukas Bengtsson
Ruben Lee Sims
Writer David Michael Conner
Competitive miler Drew Hunter
Melissa M.

Kayla D.

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

Sarah H.

Williamson County, TN
"I had no idea the tests were so inaccurate."
Read Sarah'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
Alice Walker
Sarah M.

Maisie M.

Washington, DC
"I am invisibly sick ... but I am at war with Lyme."
Read Maisie's Story
“Real Housewife” Amber Marchese

Robert Buelteman

San Mateo County, CA
"I knew something was very wrong."
Read Robert'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
Pastor Ramon H.
Davis B.
Enid H.
Dr. Kristin Honey
James D.
Congressman Berkley Bedell
Thalia
Sharon W.

Dominic S.

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

KÊTA

Singer/Songwriter
"People need to know. Lyme is the fastest-growing infectious disease in the world!"
Read KÊTA's Story
Grace W.
NHL player-coach Kirk Muller