(the voices of Lyme) The voice of Youth: Logan's Story

"The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their trouble.  The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:17-18

THE VOICE

As parents, we desire to see our children happy and healthy.  We have dreams and aspirations for their futures.  When a child becomes afflicted with an illness, our lives are rocked and our resolve crumbles under the weight of worry and distress.  What a helpless feeling to watch a son or daughter struggle day in and day out, barely hanging on--especially when the cause of the illness is unknown and doctors are baffled by the debilitating symptoms.  Unfortunately, this scenario happens all too often for today's youth who are suffering from Lyme disease and have limited access to diagnosis and treatment.

Seven years ago, Gerard and TeriLynne Haverkamp realized their worst nightmare as they watched their beautiful and vibrant daughter, Logan, fade under the devastation of piercing pain and severe weakness.  When I first heard about ten-year-old Logan's battle with Lyme disease, I was moved by her story of courage.  Logan's experience has become a voice for children who suffer silently from this devastating disease and the parents who are fighting for the very lives of their children.

THE VALLEY

Logan's battle began in August of 2007, just a few days after starting fifth grade.  She woke up with a severe headache and flu-like symptoms.  When Logan attempted to walk to the kitchen that morning, she had to lean against the wall for support.  Earlier that week, Logan noticed what appeared to be two small pimples below her right knee cap.  Her mom, TeriLynne, popped them because they were irritating her.  Afterwards, Logan cried for two hours from intense pain.  Logan's flu-like symptoms were so severe that she was hospitalized with a diagnosis of aseptic meningitis.  Logan's condition did not improve after her hospital stay.  Several weeks later, her concerned parents brought her back to the doctor for another evaluation.  The physician told them that Logan was obviously faking her symptoms and prescribed medications for pain and anxiety.  Meanwhile, Logan was debilitated by intense pain in her legs/joints, painful sores in her ears, severe headaches that caused extreme light sensitivity, and changes in her vision.  The pain and weakness impaired Logan's ability to ambulate, and she had extreme difficulty walking.  Her family used a chair with wheels to push her from room to room.  Logan was sometimes so weak she was unable to turn over in bed and her parents needed to assist her with repositioning.  Logan also had neurological symptoms and short-term memory loss for about a year.

Logan's parents were determined to get to the bottom of what was going on with their daughter.  They were persistent in pursuing a doctor who was willing to investigate the source of her symptoms.  Gerard and TeriLynne took her to various practitioners, pressing for answers and more testing.  Logan was seen by several general practitioners, two physician assistants, and two neurologists.  She received a myriad of labs and invasive tests with no definitive results or a diagnosis.  TeriLynne was heartbroken to watch her precious girl suffer so much without knowing why. "I felt like I couldn't get anyone to listen to Logan or for that matter just look at her.  She was always so full of life, ready to jump in and do anything that came her way.  When I looked into her eyes, it was like the light was just gone and that is something no parent wants to see."      

Logan's mysterious condition had a tremendous impact on her everyday life.   She missed more than 56 days of her fifth grade year, and she began to fall behind in school.   Logan's teacher periodically stopped by the house to see Logan and review tests/assignments.  Logan once answered "cat" for one of her math test problems, stating "It just popped up out of nowhere."  Unfortunately, not all the teachers at the elementary school understood her situation.  Logan and her parents were discouraged to find out that some of the teachers believed that Logan was faking her symptoms, stating that her parents should not let her get away with missing so much school.  Logan felt depressed and isolated as she was housebound, unable to spend time with her peers, go to ball games, and engage in normal activities for a ten-year-old.  "I just wanted to be a normal kid and hang out with my friends.  I couldn't even do that.  I wanted people to just hang out and play with me, not think that I was making my sickness up."

Logan, two days prior to coming down with flue-like symptoms in 2007

THE LIGHT  

Logan was thankful for her friends that were supportive and seemed to believe that she was truly sick.  Logan recalled receiving a sunshine box from her fifth grade classmates, which really pleased her.  Although Logan found herself in an extremely terrifying and lonely situation, she and her parents did not give up.  After months of doctor's visits, tests, and still no answer, everything changed with one phone call.  One day, the Kansas Department of Health contacted TeriLynne at work to find out how Logan's Lyme disease was doing.  TeriLynne was shocked because no one ever brought up Lyme as a possible diagnosis.  It was as though a light was turned on in the darkness and Logan's family finally had the answers they were desperately seeking.

THE HOPE

Gerard and TeriLynne were relieved to be able to pinpoint a diagnosis for Logan's debilitating and painful illness.  They immediately got her in to see a general practitioner for antibiotics.  After doing some research, they found a Lyme specialist in Missouri who agreed to take on Logan as a patient.  Logan was put on antibiotics for a year and a half.  It took her that long to feel normal again, although she did have problems with her reflexes for a few years.  Logan leaned on her supportive family and faith in God during her recovery.  "I learned that I can be strong with the help of my family.  With them and my faith, anything is possible and I can overcome anything.  I was never alone."

THE FUTURE

" 'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.' "  Jeremiah 29: 11-12  

Logan is now a high school senior, and her experience with Lyme has matured her into a strong and courageous young lady, ready to embark a bright and prosperous future.  She would like to use her experience to help others.  After graduation, Logan plans to attend Wichita State University for a bachelor's degree in athletic training and eventually attend USMKC for a doctorate program in osteopathy.  Logan encourages those who are battling Lyme to be strong and never give up hope.  She wants them to know, "You aren't crazy.  You are not making the disease up, and it really does have a traumatic effect on people who have it. Something is seriously wrong, and it is not just a matter of taking a few pills to cure it.   Keep your faith in God strong, and you can overcome it with the help of a supportive family."  

Logan with her parents and siblings at her sister's wedding in 2014

RESOURCES

For more information about Lyme disease, you can read my blog article:
http://dzehm.blogspot.com/2012/12/chronic-lyme-disease.html

To find a Lyme literate doctor in your area, you can visit:
http://www.lymediseaseassociation.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=277&Itemid=74

Other Lyme resources:
http://www.lymediseaseassociation.org/

http://www.lymediseaseblog.com/