An Athlone woman will travel to Frankfurt in Germany this month to avail of specialist treatment in a bid to cure her Lyme disease condition.
Cara Hurley, who hails from Auburn Heights, contracted the serious bacterial infection while holidaying in Greece in October 2019 and her health has since deteriorated, describing her daily life as a “living hell”.
In a final attempt to cure her condition, the secondary school teacher established a gofundme page in the hope of raising funds which would enable her make the journey to Germany for necessary treatment.
“Before I fell ill, I worked as a secondary school teacher for 15 years, a job I really loved. In October 2019 I went on holidays to Greece and was bitten by infected mosquitoes which carried the Lyme bacteria. I had no idea what terrifying months were ahead of me - not many people will know this but the last two years have been a living hell for me,” Cara remarked.
Prior to her holiday in Greece, Cara embraced life, but since her diagnosis, daily activities have ceased with much time spent in bed to counteract the impact of Lyme disease.
“I’m usually a busy and happy young woman. I loved yoga, exercise, socializing and walking my dog, but following the diagnosis I was housebound and bedridden for eight months in total over the past two years. As a result I had to give my beautiful dog of seven years up for adoption as I was unable to walk,” Cara commented.
Contracting Covid-19 in 2020 exacerbated Cara’s symptoms with the monthly cost of controlling her Lyme disease diagnosis approximately €1,000 per month.
“I have been taking more than 20 pills a day for the past 16 months, along with herbal supplements and tinctures. Keeping my disease under control currently costs me over €1,000 per month while I’m out of work and on illness benefit.
“Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that can, if caught within two weeks, sometimes be treated. However in my case, this didn’t happen and unfortunately, I have gone on to develop Late Stage Chronic Lyme Disease. Chronic Lyme Disease is not recognized by Irish healthcare providers, and therefore no public treatment is currently available - only highly priced private care by one doctor, Dr Jack Lambert, an infectious disease consultant in the Mater hospital. He is currently the only person in Ireland currently treating people with Chronic Lyme Disease in Ireland.
“I have been under his care for 16 months, taking treble and quadruple antibiotics and antimalarials, along with a range of other supplements and medicines. Unfortunately, my consultant recently informed that my immune system is now too weak for such treatments to have a positive impact,” Cara asserted.
Upon hearing such news, Cara sourced alternative treatment for her diagnosis and is preparing to travel to Frankfurt on January 22 with whom she will meet Dr Herzog in the hope that her Lyme disease will be cured.
“Upon hearing the news from Dr Lambert, I was left with no option but to seek treatment abroad. Lyme disease causes extreme suffering on a daily basis. I wake up every morning feeling like I have one fifth of my normal energy, not to mention the heart palpitations, head pressure, severe shortness of breath and nerve pain that feels as if glass is scraping through my tissues. I also have migratory muscle pain, chills, memory loss and peripheral neuropathy among many other symptoms.
“I will travel to this clinic in Germany, the Fachklinik for Cancer and Lyme with oncologist Dr Herzog, where I will receive three weeks of intense treatment involving hyperthermia which is heating the body up to 42 degrees celsius. This kills the bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi, that causes Lyme disease.
“Lyme disease is deceptively invisible, however it is a multisystemic disease and attacks the individual both physically and mentally. I also suffer other co-infections such as Babesia, a parasite in my red blood cells which can be fatal. I live alone and it’s terrifying to feel that nobody in Ireland can help me. Many nights my symptoms get so bad that I feel like I’m dying, that there’s an internal battle raging inside me,” Cara continued.
By making her Lyme disease diagnosis public knowledge, Cara is hopeful that the HSE will eventually have to start treating Chronic Lyme Disease in Ireland, but for now, believes her journey to Germany affords her thoughts of a positive future.
“More urgently and personally, Germany for me represents getting my hope back. I have read countless stories of men and women travelling to the clinic for treatment, and getting their lives back afterwards.
“The Lyme disease has now reached my brain and is causing many neurological symptoms such as memory loss, cognitive and sensory issues, and nerve pain throughout my body. Sometimes I feel that my time is running out and I want to thank the public for their generous financial support without which, I would not be in a position to travel to Germany on January 22.
“The public’s generosity and financial support will go towards three weeks of intense treatment costing a total of €20,000,” Cara concluded.
