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Please read this eloquent young man's story - he was a lacrosse player at Colgate, has suffered with lyme disease for most of his life. He is working to raise awareness, generate funds for TBD, and learn from your stories; he plans on making a documentary at the end of his ride across the country. I graduated from Colgate University in May, 2012, with a degree in English Literature, and having completed college, I wanted to embark on a journey across America that would both bring attention to Lyme and all tick-borne diseases (TBDs) on a national scale and allow me to connect with fellow sufferers on a deeply personal level. Lyme disease is an illness that I am strongly personally and emotionally tied to: I, both of my parents, my younger sister, and, as of just a few weeks ago, my aunt, have all suffered from this pernicious and seriously overlooked national health epidemic. I have to admit, though, in the spirit of full disclosure, that I didn't pursue my vision right away; instead, opting to do something more practical and secure, and less close to me, at first. But I couldn't shake this idea, and this disease, which had ravaged my body for years, followed me wherever I went and made itself known in the people I love most. In December 2012, I decided I would seize my good health and bike across the country, starting in August 2013, to raise awareness about all TBDs and to generate funding for new research. Since then, this idea has evolved into a grassroots cross-country bike riding campaign called Bite Back for a Cure. I've partnered with the Tick-Borne Disease Alliance (TBDA), a national TBD advocacy organization committed to raising awareness about TBDs, generating funding for new research, and uniting the nation in this fight. A very important piece of the campaign is that, as I make my way across the country I'll be meeting, interviewing, and staying with fellow TBD sufferers. TBDs are illnesses of great controversies and divisions; listening to and sharing stories across the country, I think, is a way to find resonance and to create a sense of national community. I'm hoping that in listening to sufferers from a whole range of geographic, economic, and cultural backgrounds we can learn more about what these diseases are and what they mean to the people who suffer from them. These patient stories, in my view, are some of the most powerful instruments of change. The success of the campaign depends almost entirely on the support I receive from the people who get involved and the number of people who participate. Your involvement and feedback is the fuel and meaning of this journey. I'm also looking for patients to meet and stay with as I make my way across the country, so if you or someone you know has a story to share and/or a couch I can crash on, please let me know! Contact: john.b.donnally@gmail.com