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Back in 2012, 39-year-old Heidi Luckraft got bitten by a tick when she was out walking her dog at the local park.
Not too long after she got home, she began experiencing the telltale signs of tiredness and weakness.
Although she went to the doctor soon after the incident, Luckraft kept getting told she was suffering from other conditions. She was diagnosed with everything from chronic tiredness to polycystic ovaries and meningitis.
It was only last year that Luckraft’s doctors all realized their mistakes.
For the past four years, Luckraft had been suffering from Lyme disease. But by the time she received this correct diagnosis, the bacterial infection had already traveled through her entire body. The disease had progressed too far along for her doctors to treat.
The best they could offer her was a cocktail of about 29 different medications that could hopefully keep her alive for longer.
Luckraft’s only option is to go to the United States (she’s currently in the UK) to get treated.
Her friends and family have pooled together their efforts to raise money to further her treatment, as soon as possible.
According to one of Luckraft’s close friends, Jodie Deegan, Luckraft doesn’t have much time left. “Last week she had to be resuscitated three times. She's just in agony. At first she would have more good days than bad days, but now we're thankful if she gets a good hour.”
What makes matters worse is the fact that Luckraft’s condition very easily could have been identified and fully treated within two days of her getting bitten. Caught early on, Lyme disease can easily be defeated in two weeks through antibiotic treatment.
Luckraft often asks her friends, “Do you think we’ll [get all the money needed]?” but her friends realize – Luckraft doesn’t want to get her hopes up, just in case all else fails.
