Help Ryan Recover From Lyme Disease

Hi, thanks in advance for hearing my story. In case you don’t know me, my name is Ryan, I’m 24 years old, and I work with kids in behavioral health and education settings. I love hiking, singing, being outdoors, traveling, reading, and volunteering.

I was recently diagnosed with Lyme Disease after a week’s stay in the hospital. Since May, I have struggled with debilitating symptoms such as fever, nausea, vomiting, pain across my body, and a host of neurological symptoms such as severe dizziness, visual changes, migraines, numbness and burning sensations in my limbs, reduced mobility, and episodes of brain fog and confusion. I am suffering from chronic fatigue, meaning that at times even small acts like walking from my bedroom to the bathroom can exhaust me the same way that running a 10k might have a few months ago.

I have also been diagnosed with dysautonomia, which means that my autonomic nervous system has suffered damage. That means that the functions of the body that are automatic and not conscious, such as heart rate, breathing, and digestion, are all affected. At times my resting heart rate is double what it should be and sometimes simply standing up can cause it to spike to a level that would be expected for someone who is vigorously exercising. This causes me to feel extremely dizzy and near-fainting.

For the last several months, I have gone to doctor after doctor and ER after ER seeking a diagnosis before finally receiving a positive Lyme test through blood and spinal fluid tests after being hospitalized. Needless to say, I have been unable to go about my daily life or work for months due to the severity of my symptoms.

I am still awaiting insurance approval for the appropriate antibiotics, which I will need to take though an IV PICC line for a month. I also need to go to physical therapy to work on regaining my strength and rebuilding my tolerance to activity. I will not be able to return to work for at least a couple more months as I recover.

I have already accrued thousands of dollars in medical debt and am now unable to continue paying for necessary doctor appointments and physical therapy. I’ve burnt through all my savings over the past few months and I am not eligible for disability benefits due to Pennsylvania’s requirements. I am now in a situation where I urgently need money with little means to acquire it.

I humbly ask for donations to support my recovery. All I want is to get better and get my life back, but I can’t do it without financial support to receive the proper treatment and rehab, which are unfortunately not cheap. All money received will go towards my future medical costs, basic living expenses, and existing medical debt.

Any amount counts and is not trivial to me. Please share widely whether you can or cannot donate so that I can reach more people! Thanks from the bottom of my heart,

Ryan