Woman, 22, dies by suicide after struggling with Lyme disease

2022-09-28

‘She freed herself from the unbearable pain’: Woman, 22, with Lyme disease kills herself after struggling with horrific symptoms for years – as her family details how illness ‘hijacked her’ and ‘severely impacted her brain’

Amelie Champagne, from Canada, ‘decided to free herself from the unbearable pain’ after the disease ‘essentially hijacked her,’ her father, Alain, said
According to her dad, the 22-year-old spent years suffering from ‘numerous physical symptoms’ but didn’t know what was wrong with her
She was finally diagnosed with Lyme disease in June, but despite the ‘recent treatments,’ he said the condition ‘severely impacted her brain’
Alain described his daughter as ‘engaging, empathetic, vibrant, and fun-loving,’ explaining that ‘despite her struggles’ she continued to ‘persevere’
‘The resilience and continued optimism she displayed while dealing with the ever-increasing symptoms remains my main source of inspiration,’ he wrote
Lyme disease is transmitted to humans through a tick bite and effects around 14 per cent of the world’s population

A 22-year-old woman has died by suicide after she spent ‘years’ suffering from Lyme disease.

Amelie Champagne, from Montreal, Canada, ‘decided to free herself from the unbearable pain’ after the disease ‘essentially hijacked her,’ her father, Alain Champagne, wrote in a heartbreaking LinkedIn post last week.

According to her dad, a CEO at a retirement home company, the 22-year-old spent years suffering from ‘numerous physical symptoms’ but didn’t know what was wrong with her.

She was finally diagnosed with Lyme disease in June, but despite the ‘recent treatments’ her dad wrote that it ‘severely impacted her brain.’

A 22-year-old woman has died by suicide after she spent ‘years’ suffering from Lyme disease

Amelie Champagne, from Canada, ‘decided to free herself from the unbearable pain’ after the disease ‘essentially hijacked her’ and ‘severely impacted her brain’ her father, Alain, wrote

According to her dad, a CEO at a retirement home company, the 22-year-old spent years suffering from ‘numerous physical symptoms’ but didn’t know what was wrong with her

She was finally diagnosed with Lyme disease in June, but despite the ‘recent treatments’ her dad wrote that it ‘severely impacted her brain’

A silent struggle: What is Lyme disease and how many people suffer from it?

Lyme disease is transmitted to humans through a tick bite
Symptoms include a fever, body aches, headache, fatigue, and a skin rash often in the shape of a bullseye
If left untreated, the infection can spread to the joints, heart, and nervous system – and can potentially result in stiffness and even loss of muscle use in the face, as well as arthritis and joint pain, dizziness, shortness of breath, nerve pain, and inflammation of the brain and spinal cord
A round 14 per cent of the world’s population has had Lyme disease. In the US, about 30,000 cases are reported each year
A 2021 study found that ‘individuals with Lyme [disease] had higher rates of any mental disorder and of suicide attempts compared with those without Lyme [disease]’

Source: BMJ Global Health and AJP.PsychiatryOnline.org

‘It is with the heaviest of hearts (and still in shock) that I share the tragic news that our sweetheart Amelie took her own life this past Sunday,’ Alain wrote.

‘We were witnesses as to how challenging life had become for her in dealing with the evolving Lyme disease symptoms.

‘Despite the recent treatments, the disease had evolved way beyond the numerous physical symptoms and was now severely impacting her brain.

‘Over time, Lyme essentially hijacked her… She was so courageous throughout this ordeal [but] she decided to free herself from the unbearable pain.

‘We are confident she is now in peace and that her spirit is shining bright upon the large number of people she touched over her short stay with us.’

Alain described his daughter as ‘engaging, empathetic, vibrant, and fun-loving,’ explaining that ‘despite her struggles’ she continued to ‘persevere.’

Before her death, she was working at a center for handicapped kids and was volunteering at a homeless shelter.

‘For those that had the opportunity to cross her path, Amelie left a long-lasting impression through her engaging and empathetic personality,’ he gushed.

‘She remained ever the vibrant/fun-loving friend and member of our family. The resilience and continued optimism she displayed while dealing with the ever increasing symptoms was and remains my main source of inspiration.’

He concluded by adding that himself, along with Amelie’s mother, Joanne, her younger brother, Mathieu, and her boyfriend, Nic, were all ‘leaning on each other’ during this ‘painful’ time.

‘Despite the fact that every breath and every moment is painful at this stage, in her honor we will try to keep living our lives with the same altitude she lived hers,’ he said.

‘A long road lies in front of us (every day)… We are hopeful the Amelie is now in a position to help guide and support us through it.

‘We will love you forever, and cherish every memory of our wonderful time together. You made us all better people. It’s now up to us to rise up to the challenge,’ he concluded

‘We will love you forever, and cherish every memory of our wonderful time together. You made us all better people. It’s now up to us to rise up to the challenge…’

Lyme disease is transmitted to humans through a tick bite. Symptoms include a fever, body aches, headache, fatigue, and a skin rash often in the shape of a bullseye.

If left untreated, the infection can spread to the joints, heart, and nervous system – and can potentially result in stiffness and even loss of muscle use in the face, as well as arthritis and joint pain, dizziness, shortness of breath, nerve pain, and inflammation of the brain and spinal cord.

According to BMJ Global Health, around 14 per cent of the world’s population has had Lyme disease. In the US, about 30,000 cases are reported each year.

Many celebrities have spoken out about suffering from the disease, including Avril Lavigne, Justin Bieber, Shania Twain, Alec Baldwin, Yolanda Hadid, Gigi and Bella Hadid, Ben Stiller, Amy Schumer, and Kelly Osbourne.

AJP.PsychiatryOnline.org did a study last year and reported that ‘individuals with Lyme [disease] had higher rates of any mental disorder and of suicide attempts compared with those without Lyme [disease].’

‘Although the absolute population risk is low, clinicians should be aware of potential psychiatric sequelae of this global disease,’ it added.

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