2023-04-24
Young activist Goodreau recounts how she became an advocate for people with Lyme disease.
In second grade, Goodreau began suffering blackouts, vision loss, and shooting pains. She saw over 50 specialists in one year to no avail; doctors blamed her symptoms on hypochondria or the Colorado altitude. Finally, in third grade, she was diagnosed with Lyme disease—but antibiotics didn’t work. Though a doctor declared she’d have Lyme her whole life because of delayed treatment, Goodreau, always adventurous, resolved to get better. She created Lyme fundraising challenges on social media, and celebrities and politicians took up the cause. But school bullies targeted her, and as her fame increased, people even accused Goodreau of faking. Undaunted, Goodreau, who presents White, started the LivLyme foundation at age 12 to help families dealing with Lyme disease. Further advocacy included creating TickTracker, an award-winning app, and helping Sen. Susan Collins pass the Kay Hagan Act, which funded research for tick-borne diseases. Though her narrative is somewhat disjointed, interspersed letters to parents, kids, doctors, researchers, and politicians offer insightful advice. Suggestions include reminding parents to be mindful of their children’s feelings, encouraging kids to defend bullied classmates, and urging doctors to be persistent in finding solutions. Acceptance from her new high school classmates and improved health—after a regimen including 86 daily pills and a leprosy drug—provide a hopeful conclusion. Sidebars offer facts about Lyme disease.
A tale of persistence amid invisible illness. (Memoir. 12-adult)