Tick Boot Camp

Episode 497: LIVE from ILADS: Sharon & Mara Ibanez - Lyme Warrior's Mission to Support Patients

1 year ago

Introduction

  • Tick Boot Camp Podcast goes LIVE from the ILADS Conference with Sharon Ibanez and her daughter Mara, representatives of Lyme Warrior, a nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness and providing resources for Lyme disease patients.
  • Sharon and Mara share their personal experiences with Lyme disease and discuss how Lyme Warrior is making a difference in the patient community.

Lyme Warrior’s Mission at ILADS

  • Sharon and Mara attend the ILADS conference to build relationships with doctors and healthcare practitioners to improve patient care.
  • Their goal is to foster better communication and collaboration between Lyme patients and providers.

Mara’s Lyme Disease Journey

  • Diagnosed with Lyme disease at a young age, Mara shares how it affected her physically and emotionally.
  • She reflects on how an earlier diagnosis could have prevented years of suffering and isolation.

Sharon’s Battle with Lyme Disease

  • Sharon recounts her decades-long struggle with misdiagnoses before finally testing positive for Lyme.
  • Symptoms such as chronic migraines, weight loss, and extreme fatigue impacted her daily life.

The Challenges of Being a Lyme Parent and Patient

  • Sharon opens up about the difficulty of managing her illness while being a mother.
  • She emphasizes how understanding that Lyme—not her children—was causing her suffering changed her perspective.

Lyme Warrior’s Impact: Smile Boxes and Volunteer Work

  • Sharon shares how receiving a Smile Box from Lyme Warrior was a turning point in her healing journey.
  • Mara highlights the emotional impact of these care packages, which help Lyme patients feel seen and supported.

How to Support Lyme Warrior

  • Sharon discusses ways to donate, volunteer, or sponsor a Smile Box to help Lyme patients in need.
  • The organization relies on community support to continue making a difference.

Resources & Links

Tick Boot Camp is a Lyme disease and tick-borne illness podcast featuring interviews with leading doctors, researchers, scientists, patients, advocates, and experts. Explore Lyme disease symptoms, testing, diagnosis, treatment, recovery, chronic Lyme disease, coinfections, PANS/PANDAS, MCAS, neurological symptoms, emerging research, and the latest advances in tick-borne disease care. Through expert education and powerful patient stories, Tick Boot Camp provides hope, validation, practical information, and a community for people navigating Lyme disease and complex chronic illness.