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Our Story
My name is Gus Supan. I’m an 82-year-old retired pastor. I’m also a concerned father. My son, Rob, his wife, Tricia, and their seven children have been undergoing a tremendous challenge for their family.
Following the birth of their last child, Tricia’s health began to decline. The years that followed consisted of doctor visit after doctor visit, searching for a cause for the rapid decline in her health. After much frustration and many misdiagnoses, a friend suggested she consider investigating Lyme disease as a possible cause. That led her to a specialist in Washington DC where she was diagnosed with Chronic Lyme Disease. She began treatment with this doctor at a cost of about $5000 a month over the next couple of years. Lyme disease is not covered by any health insurance. Family, friends, and churches helped a great deal to cover these enormous costs. For a period of three years, she was bedridden, during which time my son, Rob, assumed all the responsibilities of managing the house, caring for their seven kids, and doing his best to earn income as a graphic designer. The responsibilities were overwhelming.
Fortunately, their story eventually improved. Under her doctor’s care, she slowly got back on her feet and back to participating in family life. She gained a great deal of knowledge about the disease and how to manage it. But it has come at a cost. They learned that it was possible to pass Lyme to her children in utero (Read more here) which explained how two of the kids have tested positive for the disease, and two others are showing signs of having it.
And now they face another daunting challenge: my son is now battling the same disease that nearly wiped out my daughter-in-law. Being a blood-borne illness, researchers have found increasing evidence that Lyme can be sexually transmitted, explaining how Rob could have contracted the disease (more... ). And while they as a family are much more equipped to deal with this diagnosis, the reality is that it could have a devastating effect on their family. Rob is struggling with focus and memory. His endurance has taken a hit, and he finds it extremely difficult to put in a full day at work. His productivity is spotty at best and as the breadwinner of the family, the results are alarming. Knowing the cost of treatment and understanding the fight that he is now facing, there is great concern that these new circumstances will be financially devastating. Tricia, in an attempt to bring in income to help offset the decrease in Rob’s, has started training to become a health coach, assisting others who find themselves battling Lyme, but it will take time to grow her practice… time that they don’t have right now as circumstances continue to take their toll.
I ask you to please consider contributing to this Go Fund Me account to help cover the costs of treatment and aid in the on-going living costs for Rob, his wife Tricia, and their children, Emily, Jordan, Samantha, Louis, Fuzz, Charlie and Augie.
(Chronic Lyme Disease is a debilitating disease with a myriad of symptoms many times misdiagnosed as Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis and the list goes on. It wrecks havoc on the life of the patient and their family. To learn more, consider viewing the documentary Under Our Skin and its follow up film Under Our Skin : Emergence.)
My name is Gus Supan. I’m an 82-year-old retired pastor. I’m also a concerned father. My son, Rob, his wife, Tricia, and their seven children have been undergoing a tremendous challenge for their family.
Following the birth of their last child, Tricia’s health began to decline. The years that followed consisted of doctor visit after doctor visit, searching for a cause for the rapid decline in her health. After much frustration and many misdiagnoses, a friend suggested she consider investigating Lyme disease as a possible cause. That led her to a specialist in Washington DC where she was diagnosed with Chronic Lyme Disease. She began treatment with this doctor at a cost of about $5000 a month over the next couple of years. Lyme disease is not covered by any health insurance. Family, friends, and churches helped a great deal to cover these enormous costs. For a period of three years, she was bedridden, during which time my son, Rob, assumed all the responsibilities of managing the house, caring for their seven kids, and doing his best to earn income as a graphic designer. The responsibilities were overwhelming.
Fortunately, their story eventually improved. Under her doctor’s care, she slowly got back on her feet and back to participating in family life. She gained a great deal of knowledge about the disease and how to manage it. But it has come at a cost. They learned that it was possible to pass Lyme to her children in utero (Read more here) which explained how two of the kids have tested positive for the disease, and two others are showing signs of having it.
And now they face another daunting challenge: my son is now battling the same disease that nearly wiped out my daughter-in-law. Being a blood-borne illness, researchers have found increasing evidence that Lyme can be sexually transmitted, explaining how Rob could have contracted the disease (more... ). And while they as a family are much more equipped to deal with this diagnosis, the reality is that it could have a devastating effect on their family. Rob is struggling with focus and memory. His endurance has taken a hit, and he finds it extremely difficult to put in a full day at work. His productivity is spotty at best and as the breadwinner of the family, the results are alarming. Knowing the cost of treatment and understanding the fight that he is now facing, there is great concern that these new circumstances will be financially devastating. Tricia, in an attempt to bring in income to help offset the decrease in Rob’s, has started training to become a health coach, assisting others who find themselves battling Lyme, but it will take time to grow her practice… time that they don’t have right now as circumstances continue to take their toll.
I ask you to please consider contributing to this Go Fund Me account to help cover the costs of treatment and aid in the on-going living costs for Rob, his wife Tricia, and their children, Emily, Jordan, Samantha, Louis, Fuzz, Charlie and Augie.
(Chronic Lyme Disease is a debilitating disease with a myriad of symptoms many times misdiagnosed as Multiple Sclerosis, Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis and the list goes on. It wrecks havoc on the life of the patient and their family. To learn more, consider viewing the documentary Under Our Skin and its follow up film Under Our Skin : Emergence.)
Organizer and beneficiary
Robert Supan
Beneficiary