Brynn In The Lyme Light
Donation protected
Help Brynn battle Lyme Disease
In the spring of 2014 Brynn a happy go lucky, encouraging teen's life, would change in a radical way by a mere bite of a tick. Having been a performer and athlete for most of her life, she enjoyed being active. She could be found either on the stage or on the court.
Unbeknownst to her, while visiting her dad and exploring trails along the hillside in Ojai, California, Brynn was bitten and infected by a tick carrying the Borrelia bacteria that would change her life forever.
We won't bore you with the details of the many trips to the doctor and long road to getting a Lyme diagnosis, the facts are by the time we got there Brynn was in the stage of Chronic Lyme Disease with three co-infections. The disease has spread like a wildfire to her Brain and central nervous system.
With chronic symptoms ranging from severe headaches, seizures, air hunger, debilitating back and hip pain, extreme exhaustion and cognitive/memory issues, at this point Brynn has many times she is simply unable to function.
Chronic Lyme disease at this stage is complex and difficult to treat. Mainly because the cork-screw shaped Borrelia bacteria evades treatment by burrowing, hiding, and forming protective shields (called biofilms) making it resistant to antibiotics; but also because ticks often carry other bacteria transmitting more than one disease during the bite which are the coinfections mentioned above.
Because treatment is long term and complex for chronic Lyme disease, health insurance does not cover it. There are lobbyists presently trying to get laws passed in many US states to try to get coverage, sadly Brynn doesn't have the time to wait. At the moment California does not have such laws in place. Treatment for Brynn is taking place in Foster City south of San Francisco. It consists of long term antibiotics and antimicrobials. The next 6 weeks of treatment is looking to run us about 15 thousand dollars.
It is impossible to know how long and whether her body will respond to treatment. She is schedule to get a PICC line in the next week and is ready to face the world with a hole in her chest and tubes that she will show daily. A picc in Brynn's arm wasn't an option as she does suffer from seizure like activity at least once a day and on days she has enough energy uses a wheel chair to transport herself.
For those of you reading this who know Brynn you can attest to her ability to light up a room. She is the first to smile and be a listening ear for anyone around her. She, despite the constant mental and physical battle continues to smile, to fight and trys to just spread awareness and be normal as possible all while lifting up those around her.
If you are able to, please help her now. Every donation, however small, is a tremendous help! All funds raised will go towards her urgent medical treatment.
Friends please join us to help Brynn get better and get back to living her life again. I would like to thank you all for your love, support, and prayers over this time. It means the world to us!
HOW YOU CAN HELP
It’s important to note that asking for monetary help from friends, family and strangers was our last resort. During her life, Brynn has always wanted to give rather than to receive. Now is the time to put pride aside and seek the help of friends and the community to get our girl well.
Our goal is to reach an amount of $20,000 – her Lyme treatment is every changing but is expected to top $45,000 this year. We have done it alone as long as we can and are out of options for the financial needs to treat our warrior.
If you are able to, please help her now. Every donation, however small, is a tremendous help! All funds raised will go towards her urgent medical treatment.
Friends please join us to help Brynn get better and get back to living her life again. I would like to thank you all for your love, support, and prayers over this time. It means the world to us!
We cannot begin to give our heartfelt thanks to those of you kind enough to donate, pray, and send good juju. Regardless of the outcome, you are giving Brynn hope and courage to move forward with her life, and our family cannot put a price on that.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We look forward to continuing to share her journey with you all over the months to come.
In the spring of 2014 Brynn a happy go lucky, encouraging teen's life, would change in a radical way by a mere bite of a tick. Having been a performer and athlete for most of her life, she enjoyed being active. She could be found either on the stage or on the court.
Unbeknownst to her, while visiting her dad and exploring trails along the hillside in Ojai, California, Brynn was bitten and infected by a tick carrying the Borrelia bacteria that would change her life forever.
We won't bore you with the details of the many trips to the doctor and long road to getting a Lyme diagnosis, the facts are by the time we got there Brynn was in the stage of Chronic Lyme Disease with three co-infections. The disease has spread like a wildfire to her Brain and central nervous system.
With chronic symptoms ranging from severe headaches, seizures, air hunger, debilitating back and hip pain, extreme exhaustion and cognitive/memory issues, at this point Brynn has many times she is simply unable to function.
Chronic Lyme disease at this stage is complex and difficult to treat. Mainly because the cork-screw shaped Borrelia bacteria evades treatment by burrowing, hiding, and forming protective shields (called biofilms) making it resistant to antibiotics; but also because ticks often carry other bacteria transmitting more than one disease during the bite which are the coinfections mentioned above.
Because treatment is long term and complex for chronic Lyme disease, health insurance does not cover it. There are lobbyists presently trying to get laws passed in many US states to try to get coverage, sadly Brynn doesn't have the time to wait. At the moment California does not have such laws in place. Treatment for Brynn is taking place in Foster City south of San Francisco. It consists of long term antibiotics and antimicrobials. The next 6 weeks of treatment is looking to run us about 15 thousand dollars.
It is impossible to know how long and whether her body will respond to treatment. She is schedule to get a PICC line in the next week and is ready to face the world with a hole in her chest and tubes that she will show daily. A picc in Brynn's arm wasn't an option as she does suffer from seizure like activity at least once a day and on days she has enough energy uses a wheel chair to transport herself.
For those of you reading this who know Brynn you can attest to her ability to light up a room. She is the first to smile and be a listening ear for anyone around her. She, despite the constant mental and physical battle continues to smile, to fight and trys to just spread awareness and be normal as possible all while lifting up those around her.
If you are able to, please help her now. Every donation, however small, is a tremendous help! All funds raised will go towards her urgent medical treatment.
Friends please join us to help Brynn get better and get back to living her life again. I would like to thank you all for your love, support, and prayers over this time. It means the world to us!
HOW YOU CAN HELP
It’s important to note that asking for monetary help from friends, family and strangers was our last resort. During her life, Brynn has always wanted to give rather than to receive. Now is the time to put pride aside and seek the help of friends and the community to get our girl well.
Our goal is to reach an amount of $20,000 – her Lyme treatment is every changing but is expected to top $45,000 this year. We have done it alone as long as we can and are out of options for the financial needs to treat our warrior.
If you are able to, please help her now. Every donation, however small, is a tremendous help! All funds raised will go towards her urgent medical treatment.
Friends please join us to help Brynn get better and get back to living her life again. I would like to thank you all for your love, support, and prayers over this time. It means the world to us!
We cannot begin to give our heartfelt thanks to those of you kind enough to donate, pray, and send good juju. Regardless of the outcome, you are giving Brynn hope and courage to move forward with her life, and our family cannot put a price on that.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We look forward to continuing to share her journey with you all over the months to come.
Organizer
Melissa Boyer Brazeal
Organizer
Bakersfield, CA