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.

Kathleen O.
Nikki K.

Seth D.

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

Karine B.

San Francisco County
"I did not accept that Lyme would be stronger than me."
Read Karine's Story
Scott A.
Cassidy C.
Soccer star Karel Poborsky

Emily L.

Norfolk County, MA
"Just because I am sick, doesn't mean I have to live a sick life."
Read Emily's Story
Kirstie Alley
Mary-Margaret R.

Meghan W.

Cortlandt Manor, NY
"CBD has helped me live in less pain from Lyme disease"
Read Meghan's Story
Sharon W.
Singer-songwriter Jesse Ruben
Kathleen Hanna
Elena Delle Donne
Erika S.
Tennis pro Samantha Stosur

Laure W.

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

Natalie N.

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

David D.

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

Kayla D.

Harris County, TX
"It never occurred to me that something else could be going on."
Read Kayla's Story
Ashley Olsen
Pastor Ramon H.
Ella B.
Evan G.
Ryan H.
Hannah O.
Claire E.
Lisa V.
Ally Hilfiger
Actress Martine McCutcheon
Adrienne N.
Richard Gere

Kelly W.

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

Michelle T.

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

Kari M.

Sonoma County, CA
"Lyme is life-changing, pain, pain, and more pain."
Read Kari'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
Author Andrew McGuinness

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
Voice Contestant Ryan Quinn
Pres. Toomas Hendrik Ilves
Erin Walker
Suzanne P.
Matthew G.
Pro Golfer Gary Player
Grace W.
Whitfield W.
Comedian Akilah Hughes
Gabe Magnotta
Marisol Thomas
Para-Olympian Mel Clarke
Ink Master Geary Morrill
Alice Walker

Alan B.

Middlesex County, MA
"At some point, we will all be liberated from this nightmare."
Read Alan's Story
Actress Karen Allen
Triathlete Mary Beth Ellis
Entrepreneur John Caudwell
Musician Elijah Blue Allman

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
Jocelyne B.
Author Porochista Khakpour
Jane Alexander
Dancer Brendan Saye
Tom Seaver

Maisie M.

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

Laura H.

Shasta County, CA
"I am doing ok."
Read Laura's Story
Author Eric Karlan
Thaiadora D.
Competitive miler Drew Hunter

Mela L.

Siskiyou County, CA
"Hoping to help make the world a bit healthier!"
Read Mela's Story
Chloe L.
Sierra R.
Susan B.
Danie V.
Tasha R.
Amy Tan
Olympian Christie Rampone
Peter Sarsgaard
Samantha P.

Dave Skidmore

Lehigh County, PA
"These days most people know someone with Lyme disease. That's a lot of someones."
Read Dave's Story
Deanna T.
Thalia

Angeli Vanlaanen

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

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

Tory C.

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

Michelle M.

Suffolk County, NY
"If I was ever going to get better, I had to be my own advocate."
Read Michelle's Story
NHL player-coach Kirk Muller

Kevin S.

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

Sarah D.

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

Camille A.

Spouse, mother, and caregiver
"The amount of suffering [from Lyme disease] is inexcusable!"
Read Camille's Story
Legendary crooner José José
James D.
Singer-songwriter Jared Dylan

Louis S.

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

Jonathan L.

Bernalillo County, NM
"Chronic Lyme is like stepping through the looking glass straight into Hell."
Read Jonathan'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
Ben Stiller
Pop artist Sonali Argade

Drew M.

Portola Valley, CA
"I think Lyme most of all is a mental battle."
Read Drew's Story
Jamie-Lynn Sigler
Yolanda Foster

Melinda B.

Davie, FL
"Lyme disease didn’t knock. It invaded."
Read Melinda's Story
HGTV designer Genevieve Gorder
Nenah Cherry
Topeka Mayor Michelle de la Isla
Rebecca Wells
Cassie M.
News Anchor Gretchen Carlson
RHONY star Ramona Singer

Mary Sue A.

Monterey County, CA
"I will do everything in my power to help prevent this disease!"
Read Mary's Story
BBC Reporter Allan Little
Tom J.

Alix M.

Santa Clara County, CA
"Chronic Lyme is a living death"
Read Alix's Story
Singer Marina Morgan
HS Tennis Star Camryn C.
Lindsay B.

Bart Yasso

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

Shelby A.

Butte County, CA
"My hope is that one day Lyme disease will be treated quickly and correctly…"
Read Shelby's Story
USA Triathlete Peter Weaver
Emily S.
Sarah M.
Painter John Bramblitt
Patrick P.

Lia G.

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

KÊTA

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

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

Esmé Weijun Wang

San Francisco County, CA
"I'm chronically ill and afraid of being lazy."
Read Esmé's Story
Melissa D.
Actor/Producer Ariel Stein
Stephanie S.
Brenton Tyler Hoffman
Calla J.
Gerrit van Zijll
Singer Songwriter Jesse Colin Young

Rachel H.

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

Andrew G.

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

Shymala H.

Contra Costa County, CA
"You are your own medical advocate ... Do NOT give up."
Read Shymala's Story
Tori Foles
Nicole K.
Boxer Mikkel Kessler
Debbie Gibson
Author Jordan Fisher Smith
NHL player Lukas Bengtsson

Shona C.

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

Sarah H.

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

Marc L.

Falmouth, ME
"...do not give up and keep searching until you find a knowledgeable provider..."
Read Marc's Story
Walter H.
Ruben Lee Sims
Artist Peter Williams

Phil G.

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

Blair B.

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

Izabela B.

Bergen County, NJ
"Listen to your body! When you think something is wrong, it probably is."
Read Izabela's Story
Congressman Berkley Bedell
Dr. Kristin Honey
Fontayne F.
Enid H.
Musician Bill Chinnock
Christy Turlington
Nelle F.
Motorcross Racer Jimmy Decotis
Lisa N.

Daryl Hall

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

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

Dana Parish

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

Matt Dawson

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

Marjorie H.

Morris County, NJ
"Seeking answers and advocating for ourselves and our families is important!"
Read Marjorie's Story

Jessica S.

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

Robert Buelteman

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

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
Crystal Harris
PGA Golfer Tim Simpson
UFC fighter Jim Miller

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

Brooke G.

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

Bella M.

Lee County, FL
"This is not easy. Life gets harder every day."
Read Bella's Story
Outdoor explorer Lee Farmer
Olivia S.
Kyle Morton
Olivia G.
Jennifer Capriati
Jazz-Hip Hop Artist Pete Philly

Heather F.

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

Allie C.

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

Ben A.

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

Trae V.

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

Briana B.

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

Milena G.

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

Christina C.

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

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
Adventurer Ray Mears
George W. Bush

Susie M.

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

Justin M.

Foxboro, MA
"Lyme is truly a debilitating disease, especially for those that can't afford it."
Read Justin'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
Bella Hadid
Pete Seeger

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
Runner Robby A.
US Track Star Perry Fields
Reality TV star Irene McGee
Kelsey W.
Marla Maples

Katherine H.

Sonoma County, CA
"The miracle happened when we were at the darkest point in Lyme disease."
Read Katherine'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
Singer-songwriter Ben Kyle

Dominic S.

Groningen, Netherlands
"Lyme Disease is real, it isn’t a joke."
Read Dominic's Story
Wendy A.
Netflix star Talia Jackson

Triathlete Angela Naeth

British Columbia, Canada
"Treating lyme is like being on a roller coaster. "
Read Triathlete's Story
Kris Kristofferson
Colin M.
Nichola M.

Olivia A.

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