Have you ever watched something on YouTube that just made you smile? Recently I was scrolling through my parents of kids with Lyme Facebook group and saw a video made by 12 year old Ari. She started a YouTube channel, In the Lyme Fight, to share what her life is like with Lyme.
Lyme Disease is a hard fight. It takes so much from you, like the ability to have an active, carefree childhood. The weight of the burden can pull you down and it was what inspired Avril Levingne to write her song, Head Above Water. Ari shares her story but while she had a difficult, painful road to diagnosis, and is now deep in the Lyme fight, she tells her story with a sense of hope and purpose. At just 12 years old, I found this to be remarkable and reached out to her family in order to help her share her story and get her message out to both people with Lyme Disease and those who are seeking to understand what life with Lyme is like. We had an opportunity to speak this week and this is what she shared with me.
What Inspired You To Start Your YouTube Channel?
In the Lyme Fight actually started as a summer project because my mom wanted me to do something that let me work on my public speaking skills and I thought a YouTube channel sounded fun. I did not expect it to turn into what it has become.
What Gave You The Idea To Do It?
I have always wanted to have a YouTube channel, but especially after I got Lyme. I wanted to share a bit of what it is like. It took a lot for me to do it.
What Would You Say To Someone Who Was Diagnosed With Late Stage Lyme Disease?
You are not alone. It is going to be okay.
What Gives You Hope In Your Battle With Lyme?
My God. I am a strong Christian and I have been for a long time and my God gives me hope. He gives me hope in everything I do, but especially through this.
What Are Your Goals For In The Lyme Fight?
I think it will stay mostly the same. I want to give advice to people and answer questions and I’d like grow the channel enough to be able to livestream fundraisers. Eventually we would like to create an informational website about Lyme Disease.
Those of us in the Lyme fight, either as a patient or as a caregiver, can’t help but be inspired by Ari, her hope, her humor, and her honesty. She is a reminder that we are not alone, but part of a community seeking a cure. While we wait for that cure, we will pray and fight and lift one another up because it is a fight we all must win.