Candice Accola has done it once again — using her platform and voice to tell my sister’s story and spread Lyme Disease awareness. Earlier this month Candice announced her partnership with Show Me Your Mumu and unveiled the Bird Mumu in honor of my sister, Teri and Lyme Disease Awareness Month (Teri’s nickname is “Bird”). All procedes from the month of May are going to Turn The Corner Foundation for Lyme Disease research, education and prevention. You can order one at a special discounted rate here. So, Candice sat down with the girls from ClevverTV.com to talk about Teri, Lyme Disease, and how she’s using fashion to help lead a movement.

What do you know about Lyme Disease? Like most of the world, probably not enough.

In honor of my sister, Teri Raser, who has been battling Lyme Disease for over 3 years, The Other Bar is joining forces with Yelp Orlando, GoSpeedRaser.com and the Lyme community to help spread awareness. My dear friend, Katie Johnston, has organized one hell of an event!

We’ll be giving away some pretty gnarly gifts, all to benefit Elizabeth Chalker as she fights for her life. Take a moment to read her heartbreaking Lyme story.

DATE: Thursday, July 15
TIME: 7:00pm – 10:00pm
LOCATION: The Other Bar (Wall St Plaza)
CITY: Orlando, FL

$5 donation at the door gets you one FREE drink + one FREE raffle ticket. It also gives Elizabeth Chaulker another chance at life, as she is in dire need of funds for medical treatments. Feel free to donate more if you are inclined to do so. Extra raffle tickets will be available for $3.

RAFFLE PRIZES:

- Goodie bag (autographed photo, books, shirts, goggles, etc) from 3-time Olympic Gold Medalist and NBC Sports Commentator, Rowdy Gaines
- Goodie bags (shirts, hats, stickers, etc) from Duvin Clothing (x5)
- Round of golf at Timacuan G&CC from GoSpeedRaser.com
- FREE bar tabs at The Other Bar and other local watering holes
- Autographed copy of “Swinging From My Heels: Confessions of an LPGA Star” by LPGA Tour Player and Solheim Cup Star, Christina Kim
- Gift certificates from Floyd’s 99 Barbershop
- 2 night vacation stay at one of the Tempus Resorts
- A month’s supply of Blu Frog Energy drinks (x2)
- Limu Lean Weight Loss System from The Limu Company
- Dinner for 4 package (4 t-shirts, 4 burrito bucks & 2 chips/guac/salsa cards) from Chipotle
- Silver Vera Wang ring from Christine Mahler
- Silver and onyx ring from Christine Mahler
- $25 gift card from Wildside BBQ
- Gift certificates for massages from Atlantic Chiropractic (x5)
- Gift certificates for acupuncture from Atlantic Chiropractic (x5)
- Gift certificates for adjustments from Atlantic Chiropractic (x5)
- Seiko watch from Zach Brown
- Goodie bag from Yelp Orlando
- Golf imagery training DVD from Seeitgolf
- Wine and cheese basket from Spring Hills of Lake Mary
- Gift baskets from Avon (x2)
- Gift basket from Arbonne
- Set of black and blue multicompound Golf Pride grips from PGA Magazine
- Beautiful handmade craft wallet from Ashley Van Tol at Lymenaide
- $75 Amex gift card from Joyce Brothers Insurance Affiliates
- Custom Lyme inspired necklace designed by Liz Germansky
- 1 hour makeup session with consult ($75 value) from Jacqueline E C Ford
- 1 hour yoga or pilates session from Jessica Cichra from Wave of Wellness
*more to be added

PLUS, artwork to be auctioned off by the über-talented Steph Wood!

AND our friends at Duvin Clothing are donating $5 for EVERY shirt and hat sold at the party!

Please RSVP on the facebook event page.

If you’d like to donate a prize to be raffled off please email me @ speedraser72@gmail.com

Here’s to hoping we see you and 197 of your closest friends there!

 

My mom is amazing. She wrote this poem about my little sister, Teri’s, three year battle with Lyme Disease. In that time she has not only served as caretaker for Teri, but as researcher, advocate, and warrior for victims all across the country. She has given them support, guidance and compassion. In a way she has found her calling. She got on facebook not only to stalk my life, but to spread awareness of the national epidemic that is Lyme Disease. I’m so proud of the work she has done and the selflessness she exemplifies.

I believe that all things happen for a reason. I tell Teri this constantly. At this moment she may not understand why God is putting her through this, but one day down the road it’ll be clear. She is being used for some bigger purpose and she’ll only become a stronger woman in the end. My mother too. She has not only been Teri’s rock, but my rock, our family’s rock, and a rock to countless people who are suffering all over America. She treats complete strangers as she would her own children. That’s the kind of woman she is.

During this nightmare my family has been living, she has helped so many others begin to dream again. Here’s her story:

 
LYME STORY ©
(By Helen Raser)
copyright 2010

It’s cunning and baffling, so powerful and treacherous, causing its victims to feel hopeless and helpless

Perpetual pain, this disease can inflict; who could ever imagine that it’s caused by a tick?

A microscopic creature, while conducting its business, can cause you to experience the most misunderstood illness

It gets under your skin, on your blood it will feast, that’s the only way to satisfy this blood thirsty beast

You may not even see it, not even a prick, but it leaves an infection that can make you so sick

It’s not only ticks that spread this disease, but also mosquitoes, spiders and fleas

With Millions of victims needing medical care, this hideous disease is far from rare

There’s no place you’re safe, where you can feel confident, because it’s in all 50 states and on every continent

You’re always at risk from things you may pass, like dogs, or bushes, or yards full of grass

You won’t know it at first; it may take you some time, before you discover you’re infected with LYME

For many it starts acutely and suddenly, and for others it progresses quite slowly and gradually

It dominates your body like a malevolent dictator and is commonly known as The Great Imitator

It’s a catalyst for pain and a long list of symptoms, as it gradually ravages your entire immune system

It can get so much worse without early detection, especially if there are any co-infections

It can make your recovery take much more time, if you have BABESIA, BARTONELLA, as well as LYME

You get through each day with no rhyme and no reason; the one thing that’s predictable is your LYME imposed prison

Headaches and joint pain, neurological symptoms, LYME has no limits when it chooses its victims

Twitching, paralysis, seizures, fatigue; symptoms of LYME never fail to intrigue

It can affect every organ and system in the body; it’s no wonder that even your mind can feel cloudy

Because of the way it assaults the brain, it makes victims feel volatile and totally insane

It’s a horrible fate you would never pick, yet people keep saying, “But you don’t look sick”

You’re sicker than anyone would ever presume; if they were you, they’d be in the emergency room

There’s not much you can do, no atonement, or penance that could serve to remove this merciless life sentence

You have no solutions so you patiently wait, as you question the reason for this ungodly fate

From doctor to doctor, the quest never ceases, because LYME can mimic over 300 diseases

Fortunes are spent seeking medical enlightenment, because of the ignorance of the medical establishment

They label you with Parkinsons or Multiple Sclerosis; they just can’t seem to make the right diagnosis

They say you have Cancer, or maybe it’s Lupus, continuing to prove that they truly are clueless

Quite often you’re grouped as complainers or whiners, or they say it may just be a case of Alzeimers

You miss your old life; you’re overcome with nostalgia, while they treat Chronic Fatigue or Fibromyalgia

Bipolar, Schizophrenia, or Clinical Neurosis, with each doctor you see there’s a new diagnosis

You walk in each office with a feeling of dread and when they have no more answers, they say “it’s all in your head”

They ignore all the anguish with such astonishing ease, leaving you to suffer with this insidious disease

You’re trapped in this nightmare while they hold back the key, thanks to the arrogance of the CDC

They formed a Lyme Panel in the IDSA, but Lyme Literate doctors have been turned away

Wormser, Shapiro, Steere and the rest, for some undisclosed reason, they think they know best

They formed their own guidelines that serve only to keep, so many suffering, it would just make you weep

With such disregard and blatant audacity, they claim Chronic LYME is not a reality

They miss the right answer time after time; it’s rare that they ever diagnose LYME

They withhold antibiotics despite all your tears, but for acne they’ll prescribe them for several years

Heads stuck in the sand, their actions, despicable; these doctors’ actions are downright criminal

Greed, Egos and Politics, the perpetual allure; if they won’t even acknowledge it, how can they find a cure?

The State Attorney General, in a long investigation, declared LYME guidelines flawed in his determination

Yet patients continue to wait by the sidelines, as doctors diagnose and treat with these same flawed guidelines

Their guidelines are worded in such a way that that permits insurance companies to refuse to pay

They call all the shots, as if they were ordained, but because of their actions, you’re financially drained

So you search for a cure as you beg, borrow or barter, trying to avoid becoming another LYME disease martyr

Their bias and ignorance would be serious detractors, if it weren’t for the courage of some LYME Literate Doctors

You can’t leave your fate with those medical zeroes, so you place your whole life in the hands of these heroes

When you’re struggling and desperate and don’t know what to do, you rely on these LYME warriors, though there are only a few

You’d have nowhere to turn; the disease would defeat you, if these doctors did not risk their licenses to treat you

Without them you’d live in a lifetime of mayhem, but relatively few patients can even locate them

You’re grateful for the help you finally found, but you’ve entered a medical underground

Though you’ve suffered so long and your pain is incessant, it gets even worse when you finally start treatment

Oral and intravenous, with picc lines, of course, you take enough medications to choke a large horse

Dozens of pills become breakfast and lunch and every single dosage packs a powerful punch

Mepron and Malarone and antibiotics, it’s no wonder you feel so exhausted and toxic

Minocycline and Zithro, Levaquin and Doxy, you could not take them all without plenty of moxie

After each break, you start over again, while displaying the courage of a hundred brave men

You may turn to alternatives you’ve never before seen, like tinctures and herbs and Rife machines

HBO, Samento, Parsley and Burber, Teasel Root and Acupuncture; it’s all part of the fervor

You’re on so many supplements you can’t even list them, as you struggle to support your failing immune system

There’s more to this process that you have to digest, like viruses and hormones, it’s all part of the quest

Detoxing is key so you do it with tonics, Glutathione and saunas, or even colonics

There is more to address if you don’t see improvement, like biofilms and yeast, you cannot be too prudent

If there still is no end to this strange paradox, you’ll probably look into methylation pathways blocks

And if nothing else works, you may even become vehement, that you’re going to India for stem cell treatment

You become so distraught, you don’t know who to tell, that you feel like you’ve entered the gates of hell

The torture you endure is too much to embrace, as you beg God to grant you His infinite grace

You feel out of control, trying hard to get through it, till you finally accept, it’s not life as you knew it

You reach out to others while you’re striving to cope, anything to help you to hold on to hope

You lean on your friends, but then you are saddened, when they leave you to feel alone and abandoned

Even your family may turn their back, and tell you that you’re being a hypochondriac

They don’t understand, they don’t want to hear, due to ignorance, denial, confusion, or fear

People forsake you, though you can’t comprehend, but LYME disease remains your one loyal friend

So you search all the LYME sites, consumed by this wrath and find there are others who walk the same path

When you’re struggling and hopeless you can always resort to these allies who give you emotional support

With your “LYME friends” beside you, you can conquer your fears, for the reality is that treatment can take several years

For in depth information, you can always begin, with the documentary film called “Under Our Skin”

There are various groups that can help you feel stronger, like ILADS, Lymenaide, or Turn the Corner

But until they retire or develop a conscience, the IDSA LYME Panel will continue their nonsense

Until then remember, you’re not alone in your plight, there are Millions of others engaged in this fight

Take the strength that they give you, as you steadily move onward, and never forget to someday pay it forward

Take one day at a time; keep getting back on the saddle, since there’s no other way to win this grave battle

Though your faith has been tested, you must always look up, and no matter what happens, never give up!

Lyme Disease Articles:

http://aolnews.com/opinion/article/opinion-a-health-epidemic-thats-going-largely-unnoticed/19494569?sms_ss=facebook

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2001/07/25/lyme-disease-part-two.aspx

http://personalconsult.com/articles/overviewoflymedisease.html

http://lymebook.com/chronic-lyme-disease-science

 

This brought me to tears. What an incredible friend Candice Accola has been to my little sister, Teri. When so many others turned their backs on her, Candice has always stood by her, wanting to help in any way possible. She and her castmates from The Vampire Diaries dropped everything to support Teri and do these wonderful Lyme Disease PSA’s.

Help Paint May Lyme Green! Get educated and spread the word! Teri has been bed-ridden for over three years because of the ignorance surrounding this disease in the medical community. Knowledge is power.

Follow Candice on Twitter @CandiceAccola
Follow Lymenaide on Twitter @Lymenaide

Lauren Mayhew and I grew up acting together from the time I was about 13 and she was 11. We booked every role we ever auditioned together for. Literally. Brother-sister, boyfriend-girlfriend, you name it. You might know Lauren from her roles in American Pie: Band Camp, Frat Party, or Raise Your Voice with Hilary Duff. She has also starred on CSI, CSI Miami, Law and Order, Private High Musical, American Dreams, etc.

When Lauren heard Teri was sick she immediately wanted to know everything about Lyme. She was stunned to find out how serious it was and how blind the medical community as a whole was. She couldn’t believe that someone like Teri, who was so full of life and had so much ahead of her, could have such debilitating symptoms and have the life literally sucked out of her.

Without hesitation, Lauren wanted to know what she could do to help. She has been so incredibly supportive of Teri and our entire family over the last several years and I am honored to call her my friend. She jumped at the chance to get on board with Lymeaide‘s PSA campaign to help get people educated about Lyme Disease. I am so grateful to have such thoughtful, grounded, and genuine friends.

Help Paint May lyme green!

Use your voice to spread the word during Lyme Awareness Month.

Follow Lauren on Twitter @LCMayhew
Follow Lymenaide on Twitter @lymenaide
Check out the other PSA’s on Lymeaide’s YouTube channel

My little sister, Teri, has been battling Lyme disease for over three years now. If it weren’t for such a lack of information and ignorance in the medical community, she would be better by now. May is Lyme Awareness Month and in an effort to get the word out about this national epidemic that is spreading seven times faster than AIDS, my family and I have reached out to several of my childhood friends in the entertainment world to lend their voices in Lymenaide‘s new PSA campaign.



You might know my buddy, Drew Seeley, from his roles in Another Cinderella Story, I Kissed A Vampire, Freshman Father or as the voice of Zac Efron in High School Musical. He was even nominated for a Grammy for writing “Get Your Head in the Game”, which was featured in the movie. Drew is currently starring in the Little Mermaid on Broadway as Prince Eric. Here he is talking about Teri in the first PSA that was rolled out. You can check out the others on Lymenaide’s YouTube channel.

What a blessing it is to have friends like Drew who are willing to drop everything and help a friend in need. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Follow Drew on Twitter @drewseeley
Follow Lymenaide on Twitter @lymenaide

My sister’s dog Ziggy is such a character! Hurley is unfazed.

Two years ago this week Over three years ago, I was at a Pepper concert in Tampa, Florida with my little sister, Teri. About 30 min into the show, Teri looked at me with this ghostly look in her eyes that I’ll never forget and said, “John, I think I’m about to black out”. Her eyes immediately rolled back into her head and every fiber of her being went completely limp as she collapsed to the ground. Since that night, Teri began experiencing an array of weird symptoms and got so sick that she had to be pulled out of college (she was attending The University of Miami) and move back in with Mom and Dad. (Click here to read more)

Teri was on top of the world. She was a straight A-student, double major, in charge of the University of Miami concert series, had the number one blog on the University website, was working for a couture designer in South Beach, and growing into a beautiful young woman. A year after being crowned Prom Queen, Teri was virtually bed-ridden, in constant pain, unable to function like a normal human being.

After two years of searching for answers and being misdiagnosed countless times, Teri was diagnosed with Lyme Disease. The grueling treatment protocol makes you much sicker before you actually start getting better. The Doctor she is now working with is featured in the eye-opening movie “Under Our Skin”, which documents how Lyme Disease is becoming a national epidemic. The trailer is below. Please take a few minutes to check it out, share it with your friends, and keep Teri in your prayers.

One of the most controversial illnesses in the history of medicine, Lyme disease may be the fastest growing infectious disease in the United States. Yet each year thousands are misdiagnosed – many of them told that their symptoms are “all in their head.” This upcoming documentary investigates the shocking human, medical, and political dimensions of Lyme disease, an emerging epidemic destroying countless numbers of lives. A case study of the dangers of the confluence of money and medicine, the film brings into focus a haunting picture of our healthcare system and its inability to cope with a biological terror under our skin.

 

Related Posts:

Lyme Story

Party Time For Lyme!

Candice Accola’s Lyme Disease PSA To my Sister, Teri

Drew Seeley Gives My Sister, Teri, A Voice

Lauren Mayhew Speaks Out About Lyme Disease