Bitten By Lyme – A girl’s battle with chronic Lyme disease

Since she was 10 years old Chanel’s health started deteriorating to the point where she could no longer attend school and became bedridden. It wouldn’t be until 3 years later and countless medical procedures, misdiagnoses and seeing over 20 doctors and specialists, that she was finally diagnosed with Neuroborreliosis (chronic Lyme Disease) in 2013.

Lyme disease is mainly a tick-borne disease that once infected has the ability to suppress the immune system and attack all organs in the body. This means it can produce an extremely wide variety of symptoms and if left untreated, such as in Chanel’s situation, can develop into a chronic and extremely disabling illness.

Once a very active, sporty and enthusiastic child, Chanel was a member of the Alexandra Headland Surf Lifesaving Club since old enough to be nipper and also a member of the Maroochydore Football club since she was 10, she would also accompany her father on numerous training sessions up Mt Coolum. Her health deteriorated until one day she could no longer concentrate on school (her grades plummeted), play sport or socialise with friends, to a point where she was house bound and bedridden.

She can no longer do any of this and has been unable to attend school for over 2 years and has been on long term antibiotic treatment and pain killers for the past 18 months. Her medication consists of over 200 tablets a week, all this with NO government funding at all.

Some of her symptoms have included severe chronic headaches and fatigue, abdominal pain, vision problems, fevers, seizures, insomnia, disorientation, thyroid and adrenal dysfunction, sleeping disorders, eating disorders with depression and anxiety being the most difficult issues. Last year she collapsed and had to be revived. All this after being bitten by a tick as a child, while playing in her own back yard.

Because Australia does not recognise Lyme disease, it means that accessible and appropriate treatment is hard to come by and extremely expensive.

Unfortunately, the antibiotic treatment has not worked for her and the doctor has now recommended that she get advanced treatment which is only available in Germany. So, after nearly 2 years of travelling to Sydney for treatment that hasn’t worked, we have made the decision to take Chanel to Germany for advanced treatment which involves whole body hyperthermia combined with other specialised treatments needed to improve her constant symptoms and hopefully cure her, or at least improve her quality of life.

Unfortunately the treatment is very expensive and will cost over $45,000. In addition to the costs of treatment in Germany, we estimate that we have already spent over $40,000 on medication, tests and appointments over the past 5 years.

Chanel is now 15 and has missed out on all the things that we take for granted, like a basic education, having enough energy to take a shower or go for a walk, going out with her friends, all whilst living with constant debilitating pain.

Please help us to get treatment for our beautiful girl by donating to her cause, so that she can live a normal active life again.

Thank you for your generosity.