Keila's Battle with Lyme Disease
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Imagine spending the majority of your life suffering from a misdiagnosed, incorrectly treated medical condition that so severe that it eventually ripped away the things that mattered most to you. Now imagine that this began when you were only six years old. For nearly 20 of her 26 years of life, Keila Dietz has suffered from Lyme Disease and its co-infections, which were misdiagnosed as juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, fibromyalgia and more.
And yet in spite of her incredible struggles with her health, Keila’s story is not one of tragedy, but one of hope. For the first time in her life, she now knows the cause of all of her unexplained illnesses, and is beginning to receive the help she truly needs. But with insurance refusing to cover the majority her treatment expenses, now she needs YOUR help to finally heal. And you won’t believe what she has been through.
Have you ever seen a child with such talent and charisma that you instantly knew they were going to be a star? That was Keila. She had a natural rhythm for dance, charm and was absolutely adorable. She was also smart, very smart, chosen by the Bill & Melinda gates foundation to attend one of the top high schools in the country. While she naturally excelled in this rich learning environment, she slowly began to notice cognitive and physical declines.
It all started on a camping trip during her childhood. After the trip, she contracted an unknown illness which led to the manifestation of all of the classic Lyme Disease symptoms, unbeknown to her doctors. She was told at age 7 that she had developed juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (a diagnosis usually not possible without a genetic parent with the disease, which she did not have). She was also put on anti-depressant medications (at age 8!)
Even still, the unexplained illnesses didn’t stop her from doing what she loved. Keila would go on to dance for years despite the constant pain in her joints. She began teaching dance and found fulfillment and joy in refining her craft, but as time went on, she found more and more pain taking over her joints. Eventually she lost all mobility and would require hip replacement.
The surgery devastated her, as she would never dance professionally again. Months of agony followed with slow recovery time. She eventually healed, regained mobility but still found herself with strange illnesses and debilitating, chronic pain. Later, doctors would diagnose her with Fibromyalgia and prescribe a host more medications to deal with the symptoms. Then the seizures started, as well as brain fog, jaw pain, head pressure, eye and ear pain, anxiety, numbness, nerve pain and many other troubling and scary symptoms. Her nervous system was on the fritz and even her doctors where baffled.
Desperate for answers she researched, watched documentaries and tried treatments, medications, herbs and therapies eventually finding herself with an infectious disease specialist diagnosing her with Lyme Disease with multiple co-infections after 20 years of chronic pain and illness.
Most of us have heard about Lyme disease, but what is it exactly? It is a multiple symptom systemic illness. The bacteria can evade the immune system, hide within tissues, organs and nerves and go into dormant states to reemerge for more favorable conditions. The treatment is lengthy and for advanced lyme, expensive. Every system in her body needs to be rebuilt and detoxing these pathogens is a painful and agonizing journey. The illness is so debilitating that most advanced stage lyme patients are wheelchair bound and unable to work. Keila is a fighter but she needs our help to cover basic expenses, medical bills and treatments, especially because she spends many of her days bedridden and unable to work due to the the pain.
For the first time in her life, Keila has answers that can help her reclaim her life. She has been sick so long that she doesn’t even know what it feels like to be healthy. The road to recovery is long, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel and the opportunity to live a life without chronic pain for the very first time. Please, help her find that light. Thank you.
And yet in spite of her incredible struggles with her health, Keila’s story is not one of tragedy, but one of hope. For the first time in her life, she now knows the cause of all of her unexplained illnesses, and is beginning to receive the help she truly needs. But with insurance refusing to cover the majority her treatment expenses, now she needs YOUR help to finally heal. And you won’t believe what she has been through.
Have you ever seen a child with such talent and charisma that you instantly knew they were going to be a star? That was Keila. She had a natural rhythm for dance, charm and was absolutely adorable. She was also smart, very smart, chosen by the Bill & Melinda gates foundation to attend one of the top high schools in the country. While she naturally excelled in this rich learning environment, she slowly began to notice cognitive and physical declines.
It all started on a camping trip during her childhood. After the trip, she contracted an unknown illness which led to the manifestation of all of the classic Lyme Disease symptoms, unbeknown to her doctors. She was told at age 7 that she had developed juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (a diagnosis usually not possible without a genetic parent with the disease, which she did not have). She was also put on anti-depressant medications (at age 8!)
Even still, the unexplained illnesses didn’t stop her from doing what she loved. Keila would go on to dance for years despite the constant pain in her joints. She began teaching dance and found fulfillment and joy in refining her craft, but as time went on, she found more and more pain taking over her joints. Eventually she lost all mobility and would require hip replacement.
The surgery devastated her, as she would never dance professionally again. Months of agony followed with slow recovery time. She eventually healed, regained mobility but still found herself with strange illnesses and debilitating, chronic pain. Later, doctors would diagnose her with Fibromyalgia and prescribe a host more medications to deal with the symptoms. Then the seizures started, as well as brain fog, jaw pain, head pressure, eye and ear pain, anxiety, numbness, nerve pain and many other troubling and scary symptoms. Her nervous system was on the fritz and even her doctors where baffled.
Desperate for answers she researched, watched documentaries and tried treatments, medications, herbs and therapies eventually finding herself with an infectious disease specialist diagnosing her with Lyme Disease with multiple co-infections after 20 years of chronic pain and illness.
Most of us have heard about Lyme disease, but what is it exactly? It is a multiple symptom systemic illness. The bacteria can evade the immune system, hide within tissues, organs and nerves and go into dormant states to reemerge for more favorable conditions. The treatment is lengthy and for advanced lyme, expensive. Every system in her body needs to be rebuilt and detoxing these pathogens is a painful and agonizing journey. The illness is so debilitating that most advanced stage lyme patients are wheelchair bound and unable to work. Keila is a fighter but she needs our help to cover basic expenses, medical bills and treatments, especially because she spends many of her days bedridden and unable to work due to the the pain.
For the first time in her life, Keila has answers that can help her reclaim her life. She has been sick so long that she doesn’t even know what it feels like to be healthy. The road to recovery is long, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel and the opportunity to live a life without chronic pain for the very first time. Please, help her find that light. Thank you.
Organizer and beneficiary
Jimmy Mcclain
Organizer
Western Hills, CO
Keila Deitz
Beneficiary