Help Sarah Shake Off Lyme
Donation protected
Please join our community effort to help Sarah Hutchison shake off Lyme disease so she can step up her efforts to spread Lyme awareness and get back to doing the activities she loves – like shaking it up on the dance floor and sharing mountain adventures with great people in the Bow Valley and beyond.
The Bow Valley and Calgary community, and friends everywhere, are coming together to raise funds for Sarah's treatment and living expenses while she is unable to work. Support from friends has helped her to hold off bankruptcy over the past year, but her debt has become so significant that she needs our help to be able to continue her treatment and to pay for basic expenses such as food. We would like to offer her as much support as we can so she can focus on healing rather than financial stress.
A Community Effort!
Several fundraising opportunities have been created by friends of Sarah to help us attain our goal:
Shake Off Lyme Silent Auction and Dancefest
Over 80 friends and community members came out on May 29 to the Communitea Café in Canmore for an evening honouring Sarah’s wonderful spirit and optimism. There was music, dancing and a silent auction with over sixty items donated by local businesses. What a heartwarming show of support!
Community Art Campaign
Inspired by Shake off Lyme, an uplifting public mural was donated to the town of Canmore by Ryan Jennings and painted by James Wyper. "The mural is about Canmore’s community spirit, reflected in the act of coming together to help Sarah,” explains James, “the colours are bright and optimistic and speak of the joy of being. The panels of colour are individual; but they’re carefully balanced to create a harmonious whole, reflecting the idea of community."
Come down to 8th ave beside the Mountain Juice Cafe and view the completed piece of public art and consider donating to the campaign that inspired it!
Mural in progress
Online Fundraiser: Ongoing
Our online fundraiser is ongoing in the hopes to raise enough for Sarah to pay for her treatment and living expenses until she can work again. All donations go directly to Sarah.
Why Sarah Needs Our Support
Sarah has been battling chronic Lyme disease, a debilitating illness contracted through ticks, which has severely affected her nervous system for over six years. Here present symptoms include weakness in her limbs and hands, transient vision issues, vertigo and fatigue, and debilitating nerve pain in her spine and glutes. She also experiences such severe chemical sensitivities and allergies that she cannot drive and is mostly confined to her home, unable to invite friends and family in to visit.
Controversies around medical care for Lyme disease in Canada mean that Canadians must seek help from out-of-country specialists, which is not covered by insurance or provincial heath care. In addition to medical consultations, Sarah must pay for supportive IV treatment, supplements and antibiotics. On average, in addition to her daily living costs of rent, phone, etc.
she pays $1300/month in appointments, medications and supplements and $700/month to accommodate specific health needs and supplies, ie a customized diet, IV supplies, non toxic household supplies, etc.
About Sarah
When Sarah moved to Canmore from Calgary in 1995, she quickly began building a wide network of friends through her passionate embrace of mountain life and commitment to serving the Canmore community. Backcountry skiing, biking, climbing, enjoying music, dancing, and traveling: Sarah loved spending time with friends doing all these activities. As a psychologist, she ran a private counseling practice that allowed her to contribute back to the community she loved.
At some point, perhaps while climbing or hiking out from a crag, an infected tick bit Sarah. And there her story changed.
In 2008 her pursuits of adventure and travel, as well as her rewarding work as a psychologist, came to a halt when she became increasingly ill with puzzling neurological symptoms. Sarah dealt with debilitating pain for more than a year, unsuccessfully attempting to find answers at the Chronic Pain Clinic in Calgary and numerous medical tests.
Sarah then tested positive for Lyme disease, an inflammatory infection causing neurological illness that spreads to humans through tick bites , as well as a co-infection called bartonella. Bartonella increases the severity of neurological symptoms, which for Sarah included debilitating nerve pain in her limbs, spine and gluts, weaknes in her limbs and hands (that made it not possible at times to even to press down a computer key), vertigo and transient vision issues.
In a blog post excerpt, a friend describes the impact through her eyes:
"Lyme affects all aspects of your being. I have watched Sarah struggle to climb 4 stairs. I have tried to help her walk across the yard without putting too much pressure on her shoulder for fear that it might inflame her joints and make her more sore. I have sat at her bedside making jokes when she's been too weak to sit up. I have read to her when her eyes won't focus long enough to read a paragraph. I have spent hours on Skype with her without the video turned on because it's too stimulating for her eyes. And I have laughed with her on the days when her mind isn't working and she can't communicate her thoughts clearly. I have watched and supported her as Lyme affected her body, mind, and spirit.
Sarah can't handle repetitive stimulus. When I was 20, I went to Las Vegas for New Years and it was insane. The crowds, the lights, the sounds, the intensity: I panicked and got the hell out of there. It was too stimulating. Every day is some version of New Years in Vegas for Sarah. The sound of the highway, even if it's just faintly in the distance, can be too much for her. TV and busy computer screens give her vertigo. The smell of fresh paint from her neighbours expelled her from her house for over 2 weeks because the toxins in the air made her so sick that she physically could not walk.
There was a time that I didn't understand the severity of Sarah's symptoms, secretly I thought she just needed to "suck it up" and deal with a bit of pain or discomfort to just get through the tough parts. I have come to realize that I was wrong. There is no "dealing" with Lyme, If she doesn't remove herself from the stimuli causing the nervous system or toxin reaction, it just gets worse and worse until she does."
Sarah's Outlook
Determined to heal and adapt to her situation, Sarah began a journey made possible only by her incredible inner strength and optimism.
Unable to work as a psychologist, Sarah developed her skills as a graphic designer and started a web design business that she worked at about five hours a week - when she had enough strength and concentration allowed. Sarah maintained this up until two and a half years ago, when a severe decline in her capacities meant she was unable to work at all.
Wanting to continue to contribute and connect with her community in a new way, Sarah started a blog, foxnsox.wordpress.com , where she shares her experiences of healing and coping, anecdotes about her life in general and information about Lyme Disease assessment and treatment and how to prevent Lyme Disease.
The Bow Valley and Calgary community, and friends everywhere, are coming together to raise funds for Sarah's treatment and living expenses while she is unable to work. Support from friends has helped her to hold off bankruptcy over the past year, but her debt has become so significant that she needs our help to be able to continue her treatment and to pay for basic expenses such as food. We would like to offer her as much support as we can so she can focus on healing rather than financial stress.
A Community Effort!
Several fundraising opportunities have been created by friends of Sarah to help us attain our goal:
Shake Off Lyme Silent Auction and Dancefest
Over 80 friends and community members came out on May 29 to the Communitea Café in Canmore for an evening honouring Sarah’s wonderful spirit and optimism. There was music, dancing and a silent auction with over sixty items donated by local businesses. What a heartwarming show of support!
Community Art Campaign
Inspired by Shake off Lyme, an uplifting public mural was donated to the town of Canmore by Ryan Jennings and painted by James Wyper. "The mural is about Canmore’s community spirit, reflected in the act of coming together to help Sarah,” explains James, “the colours are bright and optimistic and speak of the joy of being. The panels of colour are individual; but they’re carefully balanced to create a harmonious whole, reflecting the idea of community."
Come down to 8th ave beside the Mountain Juice Cafe and view the completed piece of public art and consider donating to the campaign that inspired it!
Mural in progressOnline Fundraiser: Ongoing
Our online fundraiser is ongoing in the hopes to raise enough for Sarah to pay for her treatment and living expenses until she can work again. All donations go directly to Sarah.
Why Sarah Needs Our Support
Sarah has been battling chronic Lyme disease, a debilitating illness contracted through ticks, which has severely affected her nervous system for over six years. Here present symptoms include weakness in her limbs and hands, transient vision issues, vertigo and fatigue, and debilitating nerve pain in her spine and glutes. She also experiences such severe chemical sensitivities and allergies that she cannot drive and is mostly confined to her home, unable to invite friends and family in to visit.
Controversies around medical care for Lyme disease in Canada mean that Canadians must seek help from out-of-country specialists, which is not covered by insurance or provincial heath care. In addition to medical consultations, Sarah must pay for supportive IV treatment, supplements and antibiotics. On average, in addition to her daily living costs of rent, phone, etc.
she pays $1300/month in appointments, medications and supplements and $700/month to accommodate specific health needs and supplies, ie a customized diet, IV supplies, non toxic household supplies, etc.
About Sarah
When Sarah moved to Canmore from Calgary in 1995, she quickly began building a wide network of friends through her passionate embrace of mountain life and commitment to serving the Canmore community. Backcountry skiing, biking, climbing, enjoying music, dancing, and traveling: Sarah loved spending time with friends doing all these activities. As a psychologist, she ran a private counseling practice that allowed her to contribute back to the community she loved.
At some point, perhaps while climbing or hiking out from a crag, an infected tick bit Sarah. And there her story changed.
In 2008 her pursuits of adventure and travel, as well as her rewarding work as a psychologist, came to a halt when she became increasingly ill with puzzling neurological symptoms. Sarah dealt with debilitating pain for more than a year, unsuccessfully attempting to find answers at the Chronic Pain Clinic in Calgary and numerous medical tests.
Sarah then tested positive for Lyme disease, an inflammatory infection causing neurological illness that spreads to humans through tick bites , as well as a co-infection called bartonella. Bartonella increases the severity of neurological symptoms, which for Sarah included debilitating nerve pain in her limbs, spine and gluts, weaknes in her limbs and hands (that made it not possible at times to even to press down a computer key), vertigo and transient vision issues.
In a blog post excerpt, a friend describes the impact through her eyes:
"Lyme affects all aspects of your being. I have watched Sarah struggle to climb 4 stairs. I have tried to help her walk across the yard without putting too much pressure on her shoulder for fear that it might inflame her joints and make her more sore. I have sat at her bedside making jokes when she's been too weak to sit up. I have read to her when her eyes won't focus long enough to read a paragraph. I have spent hours on Skype with her without the video turned on because it's too stimulating for her eyes. And I have laughed with her on the days when her mind isn't working and she can't communicate her thoughts clearly. I have watched and supported her as Lyme affected her body, mind, and spirit.
Sarah can't handle repetitive stimulus. When I was 20, I went to Las Vegas for New Years and it was insane. The crowds, the lights, the sounds, the intensity: I panicked and got the hell out of there. It was too stimulating. Every day is some version of New Years in Vegas for Sarah. The sound of the highway, even if it's just faintly in the distance, can be too much for her. TV and busy computer screens give her vertigo. The smell of fresh paint from her neighbours expelled her from her house for over 2 weeks because the toxins in the air made her so sick that she physically could not walk.
There was a time that I didn't understand the severity of Sarah's symptoms, secretly I thought she just needed to "suck it up" and deal with a bit of pain or discomfort to just get through the tough parts. I have come to realize that I was wrong. There is no "dealing" with Lyme, If she doesn't remove herself from the stimuli causing the nervous system or toxin reaction, it just gets worse and worse until she does."
Sarah's Outlook
Determined to heal and adapt to her situation, Sarah began a journey made possible only by her incredible inner strength and optimism.
Unable to work as a psychologist, Sarah developed her skills as a graphic designer and started a web design business that she worked at about five hours a week - when she had enough strength and concentration allowed. Sarah maintained this up until two and a half years ago, when a severe decline in her capacities meant she was unable to work at all.
Wanting to continue to contribute and connect with her community in a new way, Sarah started a blog, foxnsox.wordpress.com , where she shares her experiences of healing and coping, anecdotes about her life in general and information about Lyme Disease assessment and treatment and how to prevent Lyme Disease.
This excerpt from one of her posts sums up her outlook and beautiful resiliency:
"amidst what can feel like a roller coaster, it still possible to live a life with a lot of joy, engagement and meaning as you heal from Lyme. Sometimes it just takes a little bit of creativity, surrendering to what is and a focus on what it is that you can do right now. In my case, perhaps my eyes are clear and I can read a book, or I have the energy to laugh and socialize with friends, or the presence to notice the sounds and the smells of the forest: There are ways to feed the soul. And there is this magical thing where whenever I get lost or stuck or discouraged or feel like at the end of my endurance, something happens or shows up or changes inside of me that helps, and ends up being just the thing I need to get through and find peace again. I am convinced that there is a big picture that is so full of beauty and love, and that life, my own spirit, and lots of amazing people, have ultimately got my back."
Sarah brings her spirit of optimism and hope into her efforts to create positive change in how Lyme is addressed in Canada. In her blog you can also find links to Canadian Lyme initiatives, letters she has written to parliament advocating for the development of new standards and her media advocacy.
How You Can Be Part of Supporting Sarah
There are many ways that you can join in. Spread the word about this campaign, donate to this site, or offer some encouraging words. Every kindness is very appreciated.
Sarah is deeply thankful for this community support and for the opportunity to further contribute to public awareness and promote a vision of care for all Canadians.
Organizer
Adrienne Cunnings
Organizer
Canmore, AB