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.

Angeli Vanlaanen

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

Allie C.

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

Kelly W.

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

Andrew G.

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

Emily L.

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

Heather F.

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

Phil G.

Leelanau County, MI
"I’m finally starting to feel like myself again."
Read Phil's Story
Lisa V.
PGA Champion Jimmy Walker
Runner Robby A.

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

Tory C.

Sonoma County, CA
"I will fight this disease and I will get my life back! "
Read Tory'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
George W. Bush
Sarah N.
Ella B.
Gabe Magnotta

Matt Dawson

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

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
Erin Walker
Olympian Kristen Sweetland
Actor/Producer Ariel Stein
MiLB Player Jordan Yallen
Writer David Michael Conner
Sharon W.
Walter H.

Dominic S.

Groningen, Netherlands
"Lyme Disease is real, it isn’t a joke."
Read Dominic's Story
Pete Seeger
Tom J.
Tessa Wallace
Kelsey W.

Katherine H.

Sonoma County, CA
"The miracle happened when we were at the darkest point in Lyme disease."
Read Katherine's Story
Ryan 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
Actress Martine McCutcheon
Crystal Harris
Actress Karen Allen

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
Sarah M.
Singer-songwriter Jared Dylan
Jennifer Capriati
Adventurer Ray Mears
Melissa M.

Maisie M.

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

Bella M.

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

Kris Newby

Santa Clara County, CA
"It is unhealthy for a society to use language that blames the victim."
Read Kris's Story
Peter Sarsgaard
RHONY star Ramona Singer
Yolanda Foster

Shona C.

San Francisco County, CA
"We can help each other take this day by day."
Read Shona's Story
Bella Hadid
Marla Maples
Triathlete Mary Beth Ellis
Jazz-Hip Hop Artist Pete Philly
Chloe L.
Nicole K.
Justin Bieber

Jessica S.

Dalton, GA
"I’ve learned that healing is not just physical. It’s emotional, mental, and spiritual."
Read Jessica's Story
Author Jordan Fisher Smith
Davis B.

Seth D.

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

KÊTA

Singer/Songwriter
"People need to know. Lyme is the fastest-growing infectious disease in the world!"
Read KÊTA's Story
Christy Turlington
Legendary crooner José José
Suzanne P.
HS Tennis Star Camryn C.
Jamie-Lynn Sigler
Kris Kristofferson
Author Porochista Khakpour
Melissa D.
Rebecca Wells

Kevin S.

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

Meghan W.

Cortlandt Manor, NY
"CBD has helped me live in less pain from Lyme disease"
Read Meghan's Story
Karl B.
Olympian Christie Rampone
Cassie M.
Colin M.

Laura H.

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

Bart Yasso

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

Brandon W.

Albemarle County, VA
"I hope one day we can find a cure to this terrible disease."
Read Brandon's Story
PGA Golfer Tim Simpson
Pres. Toomas Hendrik Ilves
Jane Alexander
Author Andrew McGuinness
Grace W.

Rachel H.

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

Mela L.

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

Lia G.

Alameda County, CA
"Lyme disease: it’s real, folks."
Read Lia's Story
USA Triathlete Peter Weaver
Outdoor explorer Lee Farmer
Amanda K.
Dancer Brendan Saye

Camille A.

Spouse, mother, and caregiver
"The amount of suffering [from Lyme disease] is inexcusable!"
Read Camille's Story
Matthew G.
Boxer Mikkel Kessler
Musician Elijah Blue Allman

Olivia A.

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

Laure W.

San Mateo County, CA
"I felt like I lost my life for almost two years..."
Read Laure'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
Emily S.
Shania Twain

Melinda B.

Davie, FL
"Lyme disease didn’t knock. It invaded."
Read Melinda's Story
Breanna R.
Stephanie E.

Louis S.

San Mateo County, CA
"My mom says she remembers the day my personality came back."
Read Louis's Story
Jocelyne B.
NHL player Lukas Bengtsson
Kelly Osbourne
Thalia
Tori Foles
Tasha R.
US Track Star Perry Fields
Comedian Akilah Hughes
Thaiadora 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
Amy W.
Lindsay B.
Entrepreneur John Caudwell
Elena Delle Donne
Soccer star Karel Poborsky

Trae V.

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

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
Evan G.

Jonathan L.

Bernalillo County, NM
"Chronic Lyme is like stepping through the looking glass straight into Hell."
Read Jonathan's Story
Ink Master Geary Morrill
Eddie S.

Dana Parish

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

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
Mary-Margaret R.

Ben A.

Long Island, NY
"My healing journey started with antibiotics, but they only provided temporary relief."
Read Ben's Story
Adrienne N.
Enid H.
Dr. Kristin Honey
“Real Housewife” Amber Marchese

Justin M.

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

Triathlete Angela Naeth

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

Briana B.

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

Izabela B.

Bergen County, NJ
"Listen to your body! When you think something is wrong, it probably is."
Read Izabela's Story
Brooke Landau
Brenton Tyler Hoffman
Singer-songwriter Ben Kyle
Tennis pro Samantha Stosur
Kirstie Alley
Wendy A.

Karine B.

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

Drew M.

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

Dave Skidmore

Lehigh County, PA
"These days most people know someone with Lyme disease. That's a lot of someones."
Read Dave's Story
Competitive miler Drew Hunter
BBC Reporter Allan Little
Scott A.
Pro Golfer Gary Player

Michelle M.

Suffolk County, NY
"If I was ever going to get better, I had to be my own advocate."
Read Michelle's Story
Deanna T.

Alan B.

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

Kayla D.

Harris County, TX
"It never occurred to me that something else could be going on."
Read Kayla's Story
Tara C.
Ashley Olsen
Susan B.
Tom Seaver

Milena G.

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

Shymala H.

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

David D.

Boundary County, ID
"I have been given a second chance at life."
Read David's Story
Erika S.
Whitfield W.
Netflix star Talia Jackson

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

Susie M.

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

Brooke G.

New York, NY
"We get stronger by working together for greater health and wellness."
Read Brooke's Story
Nenah Cherry
Para-Olympian Mel Clarke
Hannah O.
Ruben Lee Sims
Musician Bill Chinnock
Stephanie S.
Samantha P.
Reporter Nicola Sommavilla
Nichola M.
Ben Stiller
Congressman Berkley Bedell
Singer Songwriter Jesse Colin Young
Erin R.
Lisa N.
Parker Posey
Danie V.
Singer-songwriter Jesse Ruben
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
Singer Marina Morgan

Daryl Hall

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

Robert Buelteman

San Mateo County, CA
"I knew something was very wrong."
Read Robert's Story
Topeka Mayor Michelle de la Isla

Mark G.

San Diego, CA
"Lyme Disease has been the greatest teacher that I wouldn’t wish upon anyone."
Read Mark's Story
Gerrit van Zijll
Gregg K.
Richard Gere
Kathleen O.
Anwar Hadid

Blair B.

Oconto County, Wisconsin
"Lyme disease changed my relationship with the outdoors"
Read Blair's Story
Cassidy C.
Painter John Bramblitt
Patrick P.

Alix M.

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

Michelle T.

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

Marjorie H.

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

Sarah H.

Williamson County, TN
"I had no idea the tests were so inaccurate."
Read Sarah's Story
Claire E.
NHL player-coach Kirk Muller
Debbie Gibson
Kathleen Hanna
Pop artist Sonali Argade
Olivia S.
Voice Contestant Ryan Quinn
Nelle F.

Christina C.

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

Sarah D.

County Carlow, Ireland
"There is light at the end of the tunnel."
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

Esmé Weijun Wang

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

Kari M.

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

Mary Sue A.

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