Sign up for the battlefordsNOW newsletter

Local family fights for Lyme disease awareness

Nov 10, 2016 | 4:19 PM

After watching her daughter suffer from Lyme disease for years before getting a diagnosis, a Battlefords woman wants to spread awareness about the disease.

Janet Sittler said many might not know ticks which carry Lyme disease are in the province.

“I want people to check their family for ticks when they come in for the day, I want them to think about why they are having chronic pain for no reason and nothing’s helping,” she said.

Her passion for raising awareness about Lyme disease was sparked by her daughter Jenna Fairhead.

Fairhead, who lives in Saskatoon, suffered on-and-off pain for roughly 12 years before it became consistent three years ago with a full body flare-up. Fairhead had to leave work because she was so sick but lacked a diagnosis so she didn’t qualify for long-term disability.

Over the years she was diagnosed with numerous afflictions such as fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Sittler said seemingly endless trials of medications and different treatment options followed.

“The last three years were just horrific,” she said. “I don’t know of any other word for it.”

The possibility of Lyme disease was eventually raised after Fairhead gave birth to her son Dexter nine weeks early in February of this year and suffered worsening conditions. After visiting a doctor in B.C. and having her bloodwork sent to Germany and the US, she received confirmation of Lyme disease.

Fairhead was told the disease could have caused her premature labour. Her son must now be tested since Lyme disease can be passed through pregnancy.

Sittler said it was a huge relief to finally understand caused her daughter such devastation even though Fairhead still has a long journey ahead of her.

Fairhead is now on intensive, long-term antibiotics, which Sittler said are brutal on her daughter.

Because she had the disease for so long, Sittler said it is deeply embedded throughout her body. The antibiotics killing the infection made her so sick she had to take a break from the medication before trying again.

Sittler said they’re hoping to see her doing better in another five to six months.

A GoFundMe page was started to raise money for Fairhead and her family to cover treatment expenses.

As of today, Nov. 10, they’ve raised almost $5,000.

Sittler said she wants to tell her daughter’s story, because she doesn’t want other people to go through so much pain for so long.

“Now she’ll get her life back, she’ll be able to be the mom she wants to be to her little baby,” Sittler said. “If there’s other people out there suffering needlessly, if they can be helped that’s huge.”

 

 

Sarah Rae is battlefordsNOW’s court and crime reporter. She can be reached at Sarah.Rae@jpbg.ca or tweet her @sarahjeanrae.