My name is Evan Mielnicki, and for most of my life, I’ve been defined by my drive, discipline, and determination. I was a competitive golfer and hockey player, training almost every day while maintaining a rigorous workout schedule and a disciplined diet. I pushed myself both athletically and academically, earning the highest GPA of my life last school year. I loved the feeling of improvement — the constant pursuit of progress — and I took pride in living a healthy, balanced, and ambitious life.

Then, everything changed.

During the summer of 2024, I began to experience subtle but alarming symptoms that didn’t make sense. Seemingly out of nowhere, I developed extreme anxiety and nervousness that, in hindsight, signaled the beginning of severe nervous system deregulation. By the fall and winter months, I was battling constant colds and illnesses. Despite my worsening condition, I continued pushing myself — golfing, training, and playing hockey — unaware that a much deeper illness was slowly taking hold of my body.

In February, I traveled to Orlando, Florida, to compete in a golf tournament. During the trip, I became increasingly unwell, and upon returning home, my health declined dramatically. My primary physician diagnosed me with walking pneumonia and prescribed multiple rounds of steroids. At the time, I didn’t realize these medications were further weakening my immune system. After weeks with no improvement — only steady deterioration — I knew something far more serious was wrong.

By the spring, I was barely functioning. I could hardly make it through the school day, constantly battling exhaustion, dizziness, chills, pain, and cognitive fog. It felt as though my body was failing me one piece at a time. Eventually after dozens of doctor vistis, I met named Dr. Laureen Wu, a holistic doctor who immediately suspected Lyme disease. Comprehensive testing confirmed I was suffering from chronic Lyme disease, along with dangerously high levels of Epstein–Barr Virus (EBV) and mycoplasma. As the infection continued to progress, we continued to do more tests were I was also diagnosed with several severe co-infections and syndromes, including high levels of Mold Toxicity, Arsenic Poisoning, POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome), Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), Post-Exertional Malaise, and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.

Determined to fight, my father and I traveled to New York to see Dr. Howard Robbins, where I underwent intensive ozone therapy — including four 10-pass treatments and twice-daily DIV ozone sessions. For the first time, I experienced minor improvements, but they were fleeting. When I returned home to Chicago,I continued my ozone therapy regimen, which I pursued diligently until my veins began collapsing from overuse. Even after scaling treatments back, my symptoms persisted even stronger, leaving me physically and emotionally exhausted.

Today, my life looks nothing like it once did. The athlete who spent hours training each day is now mostly bedbound. I continue to experience bone-deep fatigue, severe joint pain, chronic headaches, nausea, brain fog, dizziness, heart palpitations, and relentless anxiety. Even minimal physical activity can trigger debilitating post-exertional crashes, leaving me bedridden for days. Simple tasks — walking up the stairs, focusing on schoolwork, or helping around the house — can feel insurmountable. This disease has taken nearly everything from me: my strength, my independence, my passions, and the sense of normalcy I once knew.

Yet, I refuse to give up.

After months of searching and exhausting all available treatment options, I have made the decision to pursue care at Klinik St. Georg in Germany — one of the most advanced centers in the world for treating chronic Lyme disease and its co-infections. Their integrative approach offers me something I haven’t had in a long time: real hope for recovery.

Unfortunately, the cost of treatment and international travel is significant, and my family cannot afford it alone. That is why I am humbly asking for your help.

Every donation, no matter the size, brings me one step closer to healing — one step closer to walking without pain, studying without fatigue, and living the active, fulfilling life that Lyme disease stole from me.

Thank you for reading my story, for sharing it, and for helping me reclaim my future.

With gratitude,

Evan Mielnicki