| Imagine watching your beautiful healthy teen slowly become incapacitated in front of your eyes over a 5 year period. Today my daughter Chiara is no longer able to speak, stand or walk. She is no longer able to read or write, no longer able to feed herself or dress herself. She has seizures. Chiara requires constant care 24/7. I am devastated as I fight to find answers to help her heal. |
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| Chiara was full of life. A talented athlete, musician, scholar, actor and artist. She spoke 3 languages, loved music, cared deeply for animals. She loved her sister Sara, her family and friends. She was always ready and willing to help everyone. |
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Battling since September 2007, my now 19 year old daughter Chiara remains undiagnosed by the Canadian medical system. Her initial symptoms of headaches, nightmares, fatigue, and cognitive confusion began three weeks after a trip to a cottage in Ontario. |
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| Chiara has been subjected to a battery of tests, assessed by many specialists, all of which have been to no avail. With nothing else available through our medical system, Chiara was sent home where I continue my struggle to maintain palliative care with minimal home support services.
Undefeated and determined I undertook my own research which eventually led us to Europe and the USA where Chiara tested positive for Lyme Disease, according to the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) standards. I learned that our medical system in Canada severely lacks acknowledgment and adequate testing for Lyme Disease. |
| Canadian doctors tell me it is not Lyme disease. I say if it isn't Lyme then what is it? Why don't we have answers? Why isn't there enough research and knowledge on something that is affecting so many people? |
| Chiara started an IV antibiotic treatment in the US and continued antibiotic treatments in Canada until her body was too weak to continue.
Symptoms and treatments vary with each individual. This could easily happen to anyone - it is a simple bite of an infected tick. It is a harrowing experience and I want to avoid this happening to other families. I am committed to helping raise awareness on this Lyme disease epidemic that seems to be such a controversial topic. |
| As a mother, it is a frustrating place to be. Despite my own emotional and physical exhaustion, I tirelessly continue my quest for answers in the controversial and vague terrain of Lyme Disease. |
| Currently, I consult with Lyme literate doctors and specialty laboratories in the USA. Chiara's only options for treatment lie in the field of alternative therapies. These expenses are exorbitant and beyond my means. In my heart and with my enduring faith in God I believe that everything is possible.
With your generous support Chiara will be able to access necessary treatments to allow her the chance to recover from this tragedy.
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My mission is to cure her and eventually offer help to others in similar situations.
With gratitude,
F. Davide
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