Lindsay's Recovery Fund

Our dear friend Lindsay was recently diagnosed with Stage 3 Lyme disease. Doctors believe she's had it for many years without diagnoses, which means the disease has spread into her heart and central nervous system and is now causing debilitating symptoms. Some of you may know that Lindsay has been dealing with medical issues for many years, and over the past year she has begun to rapidly decline. She has suffered from severe fatigue, muscle and joint pain, and even paralysis and neurological issues. Late stage Lyme disease has been linked to other serious diseases such as Alzheimer’s, motor neuron disease, blindness and even spontaneous cardiac arrest.

Because the CDC states that Lyme disease can be treated with 30 days of antibiotics, insurance companies do not recognize chronic Lyme disease as a legitimate illness and will not pay for long-term treatment. The cost of Lyme disease treatments can run in the thousands or tens of thousands of dollars for patients each year— or sometimes each month. (There is an excellent documentary on this topic called Under Our Skin .)

Lindsay has found a wonderful doctor who is confident that she can treat Lindsay with delivery of antibiotics through a PIC line. She began treatments in August, 2019, and has already begun to show signs of recovery. However, these treatments are estimated to run between $3000-$4000 a month, and insurance will not cover a penny! This has put Lindsay and her husband John in an impossible financial situation, especially because they do not know how long the treatments will need to continue. They have also incurred medical debt from the many doctor's appointments, blood tests, visits to specialists, and more. Lindsay and John are both extremely hard working and are doing everything they can to make ends meet, but this kind of financial strain is overwhelming and they need help.

Lindsay is very strong and has a high tolerance for pain, so many people might not know the extent of how much she is suffering. Her friends and family are heartbroken to watch her go through this, especially since she truly one of the most caring, selfless and hard-working people you’ll ever meet. 

This fundraiser will be raising money for Lindsay’s Lyme treatment and therapy. We know that with the right treatment, Lindsay can begin to heal from this terrible illness and start to feel like herself again.