Tick Boot Camp

Margaux Gunning is a 29-year-old wellness expert from San Diego, California. Her Lyme disease journey began while she was studying culinary nutrition at one of the top culinary arts programs in the United States. For several years after graduating from college, Ms. Gunning struggled with progressive migrating health issues. Her “random” symptoms included “unmanageable foot pain” and “rashes” requi...

Erin Meyers is a 39-year-old culinary artist from Bakersfield, California. Ms. Meyers moved to California after living most of her life in the eastern US Lyme belt. Ms. Meyers’ Lyme journey began during childhood with classic migrating symptoms that were misdiagnosed as growing pains, IBS and SIBO. Her symptoms were treated individually, not collectively, for over 30 years resulting in a delayed L...

Dr. Diane Mueller is a Naturopathic Doctor, Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, author, public speaker, and entrepreneur. She is also founder of My Lyme Doc , a clinical medical practice that has helped thousands of people restore their health and quality of life by diagnosing and treating their Lyme Disease. Dr. Mueller grew up on the east coast of the United States where Lyme disease ca...

Sam Lesch is a 20-year-old student originally from Auburn, New York currently residing in North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Her Lyme disease journey began during her senior year of high school when she suffered migrating symptoms that included the loss of the use of her right leg, the use of her hand and fingers, brain fog, fatigue, and facial drops. Although suffering from classic migrating Lyme dise...

Madeline Castellanos is a 9-year-old actor, student and author from Los Angeles, California. Her Lyme disease journey began 4 years ago when her mother, Alexandra , took her to an urgent care facility when she noticed the child had an “alarming rash." After being dismissed by the urgent care doctor, the formerly energetic Madeline began to nap frequently, fall asleep during car trips, suffer...

Kaitlyn Oleinik is a 27-year-old psychology student, musician and equestrian enthusiast from Orange County, California. Ms. Oleinik is also the daughter and granddaughter of WWII era Jewish resistance fighters. Starting at the age of 10 years old, Ms. Oleinik began to treat with medical doctors for Lyme disease symptoms including severe fatigue, knee pain, and joint pain. Despite visiting “dozens...

Gina Valles is a 33-year-old personal trainer, exercise scientist, gym owner, and entrepreneur from South Windsor, Connecticut. Ms. Valles was an elite nationally ranked high school and college athlete who discovered that over training could inhibit her game day performance. Ms. Valles’ Lyme disease journey began in 2017 after she discovered 3 attached ticks after returning home from a walk with h...

Dr. Janice Iannucci is a Nurse Practitioner and lifelong resident of tick endemic Long Island, New York. Dr. Iannucci studied and earned her nursing degrees, LPN, RN, NP, and Doctorate from the top universities located on Long Island, while working in hospital systems in the region. As Dr. Iannucci was climbing to the educational pinnacle of her profession, she felt but could not see “something on...

Megan Bradshaw is a 28-year-old fashion industry professional and Lyme disease policy activist from Waxham, North Carolina. Since childhood, she has answered the call to public service. She volunteered for church clothing drives, served families at the Ronald McDonald House, and assisted breast cancer survivors during her time managing a lingerie business in the fashion industry. Ms. Bradshaw’s pr...

Nic Turinski is a 39-year-old data analyst and artist from Eugene, Oregon. He is the creative force driving the Chronic 2 Wear brand. Mr. Turinski was an uber athletic 18-year-old basketball player when he began to suffer classic Lyme disease symptoms. The then undiagnosed disease restricted his athleticism eventually stealing his athletic gifts entirely. At the height of the disease, he lost all...

Debbie Nichols and Candice Matthis are the charismatic co-founders of TwoAlphaGals , an Alpha-Gal Syndrome (AGS) health and wellness community. Ms. Nichols’ Alpha-Gal journey began when she realized that red meat consistently made her stomach hurt. Ms. Matthis’ journey began with GI issues that presented shortly after she discovered a tick attached to her toe. Their paths crossed and their relatio...

Katie DePaola is an entrepreneur, author and the creative force behind a globally recognized education and training program. She is the founder of Inner Glow Circle , a company dedicated to training and certifying woman as life coaches. Ms. DePaola’s Lyme disease experience began with a tick bite suffered the summer before she moved to Nashville, Tennessee to attend the elite Vanderbilt University...

Dr. Leo Shea is a neuropsychologist, Lyme disease pioneer and polymath with offices in Boston and New York. Dr. Shea began his professional career as a successful international business consultant where he developed a passion for identifying and developing human resources. Provoked by his passion, he returned to academia to earn dual PhDs in psychology. In 1995, while serving as the Assistant Dire...

Jenn Hyla is a 39-year-old author, field biologist, and health coach mentoring Lyme disease recovery and veterans of the US military. In the fall of 2011, after suffering numerous “bug bites” during basic training for the US Air Force, she fell ill with knee swelling, fever, swollen glands, aches, and fatigue. Military doctors prescribed Ibuprofen and 24 hours of bed rest. Over the following 4 yea...

Malorie Green is an entrepreneurial beauty industry professional from Long Island, New York residing in south Florida. Ms. Greens’ chronic illness developed after undergoing a dental procedure. Her symptoms included fatigue, neck pain, joint pain and ironically hair loss. Ms. Greene’s hair loss symptom was particularly stressful because she believed her changed appearance would cause her customers...

Erin Reeves is a 27-year-old veteran of the Air Force reserves originally from Plymouth, Massachusetts. She is a medical technician, a published model, and a student. During her time in the military, she served as an Aerospace Medical Technician and after discharge she worked in a diverse set of medical environments. Ms. Reeves began to suffer from the symptoms of Lyme disease at the age of 12. Th...

Emily Levy is the 27-year-old visionary female entrepreneur and co-founder of Mighty Well. Mighty Well is a medical wearables company that grew from a vascular access equipment company (PICCPerfect) to a community that has defined the Adaptive Fashion industry. Ms. Levy’s journey to CEO of a venture capital backed category king began when she was bitten by a tick at the age of 6. For the following...

Jennifer Hoffmann is a 36-year-old multi-talented artist from New Rochelle, New York. She is a touring opera singer, board member of Generation Lyme and a project manager at Project Lyme . Ms. Hoffmann recalls having suffered multiple tick bites during her childhood, and she was recently reinfected after a tick bite in 2020 from visiting New York City’s Central Park. Since the age of 7, she has su...

Cole Elbel is a 25-year-old native of rural Pennsylvania residing in Chicago, Illinois. Mr. Elbel’s rural childhood experience caused him to suffer 3 attached tick bites resulting in constant fatigue during his youth. His immune system managed the undiagnosed Lyme disease symptoms until he was faced with several high stress events during his senior year in college. He then began to suffer debilita...

Traci Weintraub is a 40-year-old entrepreneur and sitcom television entertainment professional from West Hollywood, California. Originally from the Long Island, New York region of the east coast Lyme belt, Ms. Weintraub moved to California after she graduated from college. She enjoyed an active professional, social and athletic west coast lifestyle until she began to suffer leg heaviness and pain,...

Dan Price is a 42-year-old married father serving as the Executive Pastor of a church located in Bend, Oregon. The Price family began a relationship with Lyme disease in 2012 when Pastor Dan began to suffer a long-term fever and fatigue that progressed to brain fog, short term memory loss, anxiety, and depression. He treated with 5 doctors before he was diagnosed with Lyme disease. After his diagn...

Noel Elie is a 35-year-old actor, model, director, producer and entrepreneur from Los Angeles, California. Her acting resume includes appearances on CBS’s Blue Bloods, CW’s Dynasty, NBC’s Shades of Blue and ABC’s Shark Tank. In her business life, she worked with many iconic brands and NY Times bestselling authors until she became chronically ill. Approximately one year ago, Ms. Elie developed debi...

John Tubbs is a 41-year-old empathic Licensed Massage Therapist and Certified Health Coach from upstate Slingerlands, New York. His Lyme disease journey began at the age of 27 when he suffered classic flu like symptoms, intense neck pain and Bell's Palsy. He was diagnosed with Lyme disease by a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) and achieved short term remission after being treated with several c...

Tori Piskin is a 30-year-old comedian, producer, editor and podcaster from Los Angeles, California. Ms. Piskin was raised in a traditional close-knit New York Jewish familial environment. Her family was activated to help as soon as her chronic symptoms presented during her senior year of college. She was diagnosed and in treatment with a well-known Lyme Literate Medical Doctor (LLMD) within months...

Danielle Cosgrove is a 26-year-old sports management professional from Long Island, New York. Ms. Cosgrove’s Lyme disease journey began in 2012 when her symptoms prevented her from achieving her dream of playing college lacrosse. Her progressing symptoms sent her to visit 9 doctors over 8 years before she was diagnosed with Lyme disease. Her diagnosis was incidental to treating at a immunological...