Help Michael beat Lyme disease and get his life back

Michael’s Story

I am creating this GoFundMe on behalf of my son, Michael, who has been battling disseminated neurological Lyme disease and co-infections for 3 years. Michael is currently 26, and graduated from Old Dominion University with an engineering degree in the spring of 2022. His last 2 years of college were extremely difficult as he was unknowingly battling this disease. He had a tick bite during the spring of 2021, but thought nothing of it. His first symptoms, which included vertigo, memory loss, brain fog, confusion, heart palpitations, hair loss, and extreme fatigue started that summer. Again, he didn’t think much of the symptoms and pushed through in order to complete his degree. In the summer of 2022, Michael’s condition rapidly deteriorated to the point of ending up in the ER with stroke-like symptoms. After a multitude of testing ranging from CT scans to echocardiograms, nothing was detected. In addition to the previous symptoms intensifying, he developed postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), excruciating pain in his muscles and bones, relapsing fever, visual hallucinations, swollen lymph nodes, constant muscle twitching, numbness, Bell’s Palsy, blurred vision, extreme weakness, skin lesions, and muscle wasting. He went from being a gifted athlete and hard working professional to collapsing after climbing a flight of stairs. He became unable to carry out the most basic physical and mental tasks.

Start of Treatment

After being ignored and brushed off by multiple doctors, I finally suggested he get tested for Lyme disease. He ended up having a positive western blot result, and went on to receive a short course of antibiotics. Michael’s condition stabilized enough to move across the country for work. We thought that the recommended 4 weeks of antibiotics would cure him, but sadly we were mistaken. Michael’s condition deteriorated to the point where he was bedridden much of the time, despite on and off short courses of antibiotics over 9 months. In December 2023, his doctor diagnosed Michael with multiple systemic infections, and said that he would need to undergo a long intense course of treatment involving several antibiotics. Due to the severity of these infections, Michael is currently on an extended leave of absence from work.

Financial Burden

As a graduate fresh out of college, this has been an enormous financial, physical, and mental burden for Michael. The cost of this treatment has been astronomical. Unfortunately, none of it has been covered by insurance. Michael and his girlfriend have spent their entire life savings (approximately $40,000) paying for the doctors and treatment. He and his girlfriend cannot afford to financially continue Michael’s treatment, and it has gotten to the point where they have to choose between medication and rent. Sadly, I am unable to help him financially which breaks my heart.

Please consider donating to help Michael continue his treatment and get back to a normal quality of life. All funds will go towards Michael’s current and future treatments as well as pay off some medical debt. Kindly share this and remember, no donation is too small! We truly appreciate any and all help. Thank you for all the support… it means the world to me ♥️