LOVE MAKES THE WORLD GO ROUND

Raising funds for ongoing treatments at a wellness clinic in Mexico for Ewen’s debilitating health problems caused by Lymes Disease.

LOVE MAKES THE WORLD GO ROUND

Dealing with the devastation of Lymes Disease.

There are some people who make the world a better place through their loving nature and generosity of spirit and the kindness they show to others. Ewen is one of those people. I have known Ewen since he was a small boy and he has always been a happy, bright, active, sporty, caring person with a genuine heart of gold. He went to Appledore Primary school where his family still live and later studied Chinese and International Business at Leeds University where he also practised yoga, gymnastics, played football, surfed, snowboarded, lived life to the full and was the person who friends would turn to for help and advice. He got his degree despite having to take a years medical leave and his declining health during his last year at University. Through his illness, Ewen has lost everything including his independence and a relationship. Within a few months, he was bedridden, wracked with debilitating health problems, and worst of all, experiencing psychological distress that mimicked depression and other psychiatric conditions which have resulted in suicidal impulses which Ewen described as ‘not my thoughts but in my head’. He describes it as his “body and mind does not feel like home anymore”.

Through private investigation, Ewen was eventually diagnosed with Lymes Disease, but the delay allowed related infections to take hold as his immune system had become so impaired. It is hard to watch the physical, mental and emotional distress and suffering of someone close to you with a chronic disease. In the absence of appropriate treatments in England, his family and friends and the kindness of strangers, paid through online fundraising for Ewen to go to a specialist Lymes clinic in Germany. He bravely endured intensive and invasive treatments, but on his return, his health continued to decline as infections took hold and his gut and brain became more inflamed. Ewen felt he was at the end of his rope, and in desperation, his family sent him to a ‘wellness clinic’ in Mexico which specialises in detoxifying at a cellular level and cell membrane repair with wholistic treatments, again, not available in England. Ewen was due to be home by now but he has had to have further treatment and surgery and his doctors have advised against travel.

Throughout his illness and in spite of having barely registering levels of adrenaline, serotonin and dopamine in his brain chemicals, Ewen has been very proactive about looking for solutions to his situation, become very well informed about Lymes, tried heroically to remain positive and throughout it all has been as concerned for the stress on his family, both emotionally and financially as he has been for himself. He has also been very concerned about the lack of understanding and diagnosis around Lymes and got involved in trying to help other Lymes sufferers. Now HE needs help with the cost for the extended stay at the clinic as they are unsure how long he will need at the clinic due to the complexity of his case. Additionally he will need to continue with maintenance when he is home or seek further treatment if he is still not well. Ewen did not want to ask anyone for money and is upset that his parents have spent so much on his treatments, which is why I have stepped in to try and help. Ewen has been a lifelong friend of my sons and I have become close to his family over the last two and a half extremely difficult years. As someone outside the family it is easier for me to say that Ewen is a remarkable, beautiful soul who is suffering terribly and to ask, if you are sympathetic, if you can help him in whatever way you can. This is a person who will give back to the world tenfold, but he needs help to regain his health and his life.

THANKYOU.

I’ve attached a message from Ewen’s Mum, Ewen’s own account of his illness from the original fundraiser and a letter from his doctor in Mexico.

PLEASE HELP OUR SON TO SPREAD HIS STORY AND RAISE AWARENESS OF THIS EVIL DISEASE.

‘My son Ewen has been suffering with his health for more than two and a bit years. He was consistently misdiagnosed by doctors. Before, he was always full of joy and always so active. Now, he really isn’t himself and says he can’t go on like this. It’s so hard to see him struggle so much to cope with daily life and deal with severe psychological symptoms which came out of nowhere. As a mother I don’t want to see anyone else’s child have to suffer so badly without any answers. Here are pictures of when Ewen was well (right) and how the disease has affected him (left).

He hopes he can help others who are suffering with Lymes Disease.
He is currently at a centre in Mexico which was recommended to us and offers exactly what he needs right now. A comprehensive, individualised plan which includes; detoxification on a cellular level to rid him of the mould and other toxins (a compromised and suppressed immune system from Lymes cannot destroy mould if exposed and it enters the body. Ewen’s lab tests for mould mycotoxins showed several types in his body), immune system repair, world class parasite treatment, lymphatic drainage, neural therapy, the PK IV protocol, cell membrane repair, cleaning of remaining infection and inflammation sites etc. The initial recommended stay for Ewen is 4-6 weeks. We hope Ewen will come back feeling better and like his usual happy self.

To read my Ewen’s story, in his own words, please see below.’

EWEN’S STORY IN HIS OWN WORDS

“Those who know me know will know that over the past 2 years I have struggled tremendously with health issues. Prior to this, I was an optimistic, outgoing, confident, active person who was full of life. With a positive outlook on the future, I was looking forwards to finishing university and starting my new life. Fortunately, for 22 years, I was always very happy and healthy. This all changed on August the 13th, 2018.

On that day, within the space of 5 minutes, in the absence of a trigger, I began to experience intense panic and disconnection from myself and reality. Over the duration of a few months, I began to experience more and more symptoms leaving me bedridden. Some of my symptoms were anxiety/panic attacks, mood issues, brain fog, feeling lost, impulsive dark thoughts, irritability, apathy, severe fatigue, headaches, emotional numbness/lack of feeling, derealisation, unable to recognise myself in the mirror, tinnitus, weight loss, digestion issues, fatigue, insomnia, numbness and tingling, muscle twitching, internal tremors, muscle atrophy and many more. During these months, I saw many doctors, who dismissed me and told me it was "all in my head", as all my blood test showed normal values. This led to referrals with psychologists, psychiatrists, therapists and counsellors. They all concluded that the lack of illness in my family history, as well as the absence of a trigger or any previous trauma, meant I must just be "depressed and anxious" and that I should just "take the meds". Non of them were able to help or provide an answer. It didn't make sense to me and I didn't believe them. There was no reason for me to feel the way I did. I truly believed that I was sick, so I began looking for answers myself.

During the first year after reading countless self help books, by making lifestyle changes (nutrition, meditation, sleep, yoga, stress management more time in nature, herbal medicine and detox etc) I'd feel slightly better. However, it would always get worse again, continuously. Over this last year, my condition has become chronic, the symptoms are debilitating and unbearable. 15 different doctors, many blood tests (including a false negative Lyme disease test on the NHS - January 2020), several false diagnosis's (chronic fatigue, leaky gut, depression, paranoia, anxiety, IBS), a nutritionist, more counsellors, medications and several trips to A&E later led to nothing. After many hours of research, Lyme disease was on my radar. About a year into my illness (August 2019) I requested to be tested at my local GP clinic and the doctor told me that “Lyme disease is the new fad diagnosis in alternative medicine”, therefore she refused to and then it was forgotten about. Then only recently (July 2020), after recognising my display of many clinical symptoms, my functional medicine practitioner suggested that I send a blood sample to a private lab in Germany (ArminLabs) who specialise in tick born infections at my own expense. The results came back positive for Lyme disease (Borrelia) some of it's co-infections (Mycoplasma pneumonia, Epstein Barr, Cytomegalovirus, Coxsackievirus , Echo virus, HSV, VZV). After being house and bed bound for the past 8 months, we have finally found some answers.

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection typically transmitted by ticks. It has 3 stages. Early (1-4 weeks), acute disseminated (4-16 weeks+) and late Lyme disease (months to years - chronic). It known as the “The Great Imitator,” because its symptoms mimic many other diseases. It can affect any organ of the body, including the brain and nervous system, muscles and joints, the heart and the gut. Patients with Lyme disease are frequently misdiagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, and various psychiatric illnesses. If caught early, treatment is much more effective. Unfortunately, many people are misdiagnosed for many years, or never diagnosed as chronic Lyme is a ”controversial topic” that is not properly recognised in the medical literature, and the testing available on the NHS is notoriously unreliable. Even once properly diagnosed, treatment for chronic Lyme disease is again, a controversial topic. The usual prescription is the long term use of multiple strong antibiotics and antimicrobials, this method of treatments is rarely effective and can cause a long list of side effects.

I have attempted the first line of treatment prescribed by a Lyme literate doctor, however it made me much much sicker and landed me in A&E after 10 days. The longer this disease is left untreated, the harder it is to recover. For this reason, I am looking to be treated in Klinik St. George, a Lyme specialised centre in Germany. This clinic offers the highest chance of a full recovery, as opposed to just symptom improvement or remission. They offer several sessions of "Systemic Whole Body Hyperthermia to raise the bodies temperature to 41,6 – 41,8 degrees and then maintain it for two to three hours whilst attacking the infection", in conjunction with an adjuvant therapy program. They are one of the only places in the world that offer this treatment. I have lost a lot due to Lyme, including my independence and I continue to do so, but I hope that things can get better.

The cost of the intensive treatment is upwards of £30,000 for a 4 week stay in the clinic (just been updated on the price), this does not include travel, post-treatment care, supplementation and further appointments. I am grateful for any contribution that anyone can make. Ultimately, the purpose of this is to raise awareness. If you or somebody you know is suffering with a 'mysterious' chronic illness whether it's mental or physical, please DO NOT take the first label a doctor gives you and DO NOT accept it if you truly believe that there is an underlying root cause. Dig deeper, become your own health advocate and listen to your intuition, you know your body better than anyone else.

It has taken me 2 years of suffering and searching to finally find answers after being shrugged off and repeatedly let down by the healthcare system. If I can inspire one other person to find the cause of their potentially unexplainable condition, then it's a happy day. Also, if you have good health, please take care of it. It's something that I very much took for granted and now miss dearly.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Ewen x“

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