Madison Area Lyme Support Group

International supermodel Bella Hadid has an estimated net worth of $25 million.

Actress Riley Keough, granddaughter of Elvis Presley, has just been named sole custodian of Graceland mansion and the family shares of Elvis Presley Enterprises, reportedly worth $500 million.

In addition to being super-wealthy, these two glamorous women have something else in common. Both have recently spoken publicly about having Lyme disease—and the challenges they’ve faced in getting well again.

In a cover story in Vanity Fair magazine, Keough says she went to a clinic in Switzerland: “It’s a holistic treatment center and offers all kinds of things that you can’t really do in America yet, like cleaning your blood.”

At about the same time the Vanity Fair issue came out, Bella Hadid posted on Instagram about recently undergoing more than 100 days of intensive treatment for Lyme disease and co-infections, after “15 years of invisible illness.” Although no specifics of treatment are given, accompanying photos suggest that IVs were certainly part of her protocol.

For sick and suffering Lyme patients who are NOT multi-millionaires—typically forced to travel long distances to even find a practitioner who acknowledges their illness, and then must pay out of pocket because insurance companies won’t cover such treatments—these news stories can seem like a cruel joke.

“What do either of these women have to complain about?” is an oft-asked question on Facebook. “If I had money like that, all my problems would be solved.”

But as other commenters on Facebook frequently respond, even having boatloads of money doesn’t necessarily make the problem go away. Bella Hadid’s rich family and her Lyme-experienced mother Yolanda still couldn’t shield her from 15 years of suffering.

However, one thing that such celebrity news coverage certainly does is raise the profile of Lyme disease in the news media. As an example, LymeDisease.org has received a raft of media inquiries in the wake of the Bella/Riley revelations. Just this morning, I received a message from a news service in China, seeking comment on the situation.

Here are just a few examples of the widespread news coverage of Bella and Riley:

Yahoo News: Bella Hadid and Riley Keough undergo intensive treatments for Lyme disease. The average person can spend up to $10,000 a week treating the condition.

Today Show:  Bella Hadid opens up about journey with Lyme disease. What to know about the condition

Daily Express (UK):  Elvis Presley’s granddaughter Riley Keough opens up about ongoing battle with Lyme disease

TOUCHED BY LYME is written by Dorothy Kupcha Leland, President of LymeDisease.org. She is co-author of When Your Child Has Lyme Disease: A Parent’s Survival Guide, and of the forthcoming title Finding Resilience: A Teen’s Journey Through Lyme Disease. Contact her at dleland@lymedisease.org.

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**Comment**

The older I get and the more I see and hear, the more I believe healing is truly as individual as the case itself and money can have little to do with it.  

That’s not to say treatment doesn’t cost money.

I added up that we spent about $15K per year per person when we were treating years ago.  I’m sure this price has gone up now.

But I also know people who grow their own herbs and make their own medicine for pennies that are doing marvelously.  This woman was “healed” of chronic Lyme through dry fasting (although like most other patients, she utilized many treatments). I believe one of the biggest keys is being invested in healing and making it a natural part of life. There’s a lot of these people in Wisconsin – people that refuse to give up.  People that love nature, are great examples of good stewards of the earth, and that have an attitude of fortitude.  Now, that’s not to say that they don’t succumb to periodic episodes of melancholy or even weariness but they know that’s not healthy for mind or body and determine to overcome it.

Even with the major trials of life these remarkable patients plod on – determined to be well.

I must say that just talking to these patients encourages me to also plod on.  You see, this mentality is contagious – infectious really, and is a weapon/treatment all its own that doesn’t get enough press or attention.

My ear is to the ground and I’ve followed these wealthy stars traversing the world for treatment.  None of them are completely well and they all suffer despite their wealth and opportunity.  What does this tell you?  All their money, seemingly, isn’t the key.  I’m not downplaying the importance of treatment, but treatment afforded through money is only one prong of this multi-pronged fork and it takes everything to overcome this beast.

My advice: be content with what you have.  Don’t covet what others have.  Learn from everyone – rich or poor and determine in your own mind that YOU ARE GOING TO GET WELL!  Accept nothing else.  One caveat: do not put pressure on yourself as pressure equals stress and stress is a killer.  Calmly do your research.  Calmly experiment to find what works.  Calmly talk to other patients and take notes. Calmly apply what you learn, be patient, and have the contagious attitude of fortitude.

That’s the advice from an aging grey hair who at one point just wanted to cash her chips in.

NEVER QUIT!

And never lose your sense of humor.