Help support Shawna's Lyme Disease Treatment

Thank you for listening to our story, it’s been a roller coaster ride so far and we can only hope that we are on the right track for recovery……..but we really need your help!  

A little bit about Shawna, if you don’t know her, she is the mother of 7 and mamaw to 3. A few years ago she started a very promising in-home bakery business, which she loved to do. This time 3 years ago (2018), Shawna’s weeks consisted of walking 2-5 miles a day, strength training 3 times a week and fulfilling baking orders. In 2 years, she went from that to not even being able to go to the grocery store without feeling like she was going to pass out. Now, her days are filled with random severe pain, dizziness, numbness, severe debilitating fatigue, sleeping problems, cold sweats, headaches, muscle twitching, vision issues, brain fog, and depression. She started going to specialists and no one could figure out what was going on. All of her blood tests came back normal. They ended up having a brain MRI done and the results from that mentioned Lyme disease. At first we disregarded that and went through all of the other possibilities but nothing ever quite fit the symptoms. We finally looked at Lyme disease, and BAM, everything started falling into place. At first we thought, SWEET, it’s Lyme disease, a 2-week dose of some good antibiotics and it’s done! Then we started realizing that was so very far from the truth. Meanwhile, her symptoms started getting worse and happening daily. We researched and discovered that she more than likely had Chronic Lyme Disease which is not a recognized disease by the CDC (at least not now) and under so much debate that the insurance companies will not pay for treatments. We went to the Infectious disease specialist and he told us “Lyme disease isn’t in this area, it’s not Lyme disease”. We insisted on getting the test done though. She was negative on the ELISA test so we insisted on getting the Lyme blot test done. It came back only showing 3 protein bands abnormal instead of the necessary 5 needed to be considered Lyme positive. At that point we realized we either had to go to a Lyme clinic and pay out of pocket or try and make a regimen of our own to get her better. We couldn’t really afford a Lyme clinic, so we decided to try and do it on our own. We read up on all of the supplements needed and came up with our own plan. I really thought it was working until one night, I went to the store to get a few things and when I got back, everything seemed fine. Then she went to take her nightly pills and stood at the kitchen counter crying. I asked her why she was crying and she replied that she couldn’t remember what she was supposed to be taking that night!! I said, “That’s ok baby, we will figure it out!” and she replied, “No, you don’t understand, when you were gone, I forgot where you were 3 times! I had to remind myself where you were 3 separate times! I thought you were upstairs or in the bathroom or something and I had to sit there and remember where you were!”. That scared me and we decided right then that we would go see a Lyme literate doctor. I searched and found one that wasn’t too far away and could bill our insurance for the office visit, leaving us to pay the functional fee of $150. So we went, and she is now on a good treatment plan………..expensive, but good! Anyone who knows about Lyme disease knows that it is not curable. Treatable, but not curable! Adding everything together, her meds and supplements are over $700 a month, plus $150 for each appointment, all out of pocket. Most of the meds she will be on for the rest of her life. On top of that, she is unable to work or bake to bring in any extra money to help. Pair that with the fact that everything is going up due to COVID and lack of supplies, and you get a very unhealthy financial situation. I mean, we are not going to just give up and say “I’m sorry you’re in so much pain and unable to perform very basic daily routines, but we can’t afford your treatment so you’re just going to have to suffer!” NO, we are going to find the money somewhere so that she can get to a point of enjoying her life, because right now, she’s just not enjoying it!

We have found a treatment center in Idaho with amazing results and our goal is to be able to take her there and get treated. The good news is that she will get treated in multiple sessions and after a week or 2, she may never have to go back! The bad news is that the treatment costs $3,500, and that does not include travel expenses, hotel stay and all of the supplements and medications she will need to be on..........basically for life. But that is our goal and I know that with God, all things are possible!

All donations will go towards Shawna's ongoing medication, supplements, treatments and what ever else she will need to survive this horrible disease.

Thank you so very much for your time and thank you in advance for your donation, you have no idea how much it means to us!