NEWS: 6-year-old girl denied Lyme treatment by Australian government
A very sick youngster has tested positive for Lyme via US lab tests. Australian government says “no Lyme” in their country, refuses to pay for her treatment.
From the Newcastle Herald (Australia):
Battle for Laura: doctors take on NSW Health over girl’s crippling disease
BY DONNA PAGE
20 Feb, 2012 04:00 AM
A 6-YEAR–OLD Fern Bay girl is at the centre of a major medical storm over whether a debilitating tick-borne disease exists in Australia.
Laura France was diagnosed with Lyme disease late last year following tests done on her blood in the US.
Her family and several doctors are convinced she has the illness, caused by a tick bite, but NSW Health disagrees.
The department says the disease does not exist in Australia and will not fund any treatment for it.
The family is paying $3000 a month for medication typically used to treat Lyme.
Laura has trouble walking, struggles to catch her breath, suffers from severe headaches and is lucky to make it through a full day of school.
Michelle France said that at night her daughter had trouble sleeping, cried and complained of constant aches and pains.
‘‘On a daily basis it’s hard, we have had to buy a stroller to get her around, she is exhausted after walking short distances,’’ Mrs France said.
‘‘It’s bad enough that Laura is sick, but the battle to find help has been a nightmare.’’
This is disgraceful and is happening all over the world. We need strong lobbying forces world wide to alert the public of this epidemic. Blood transfusions are spreading these tick borne pathogens like wildfire as well as people being infected. One recent blood transfusion infected 8 different people.
Hi Dolores,
I am suffering with Lyme’s myself and I believe that my daughter has been misdiagnosed. The doctor that has been recommended to me is not taking new patients, would you be able to help me find pediatric doctors or family physicians in the NJ, NY, CT, PA area?
I have been diagnosed with Lyme this year from ticks near Kyogle, Northern NSW. A friend also diagnosed from same place with blood test results from Igenex in US showing Lyme and Babesia. Doesn’t exist huh?
I was bitten by a spdeir last September. At first it just hurt and burned and itched for about an hour. Two weeks later that leg goes numb along with the foot in an instant. A year later and the big toe is still not right. I went through the normal routine of testing2005 for lymes, and all co-infections. All neg. even though the symptoms were all there: shortness of breath, facial tingling/numbness, electrical shock like pain that comes and goes, unbelievable fatigue, flu symptoms for months, memory loss, extreme emotional up and down, weakness in legs, heart palpitations, knee pain that now is every day. I have been on IV Rocephin for 5 months and recently felt good enough to quit the IV and do some oral as a step down. Bad idea. Within 2 days feeling miserable. Fatigue, joint pain, night chills, emotional wreck again, knee pain constantly. Anyone out there with these things after spdeir bite? I assumed it was lymes but am now considering retesting with spinal tap and blood work to see what appears. Feeling very depressed and let down. Wish I could have my life back. someone please help me.
it has never been reported that anoyne has contracted Lyme Disease with a tick that has been imbedded under 48-72 hours. I do not have faith in the pcp system and now 5 days later my son has developed a high temp of 104 and is complaining of neck pain.I asked for antibiotics and was told this is not a good choice b/c each time you give a child a abx that they fall risk of resistive bacteria& when the need is really there the abx do not work any longer and you will put him at risk. I asked for the rx incase and am contiplating getting it filled. I feel no one around here really knows how long, when the earliest the symptoms can show and blood tests are useless most of the time. I am a chronic suffer of this illness for 25 years now and I was misdiagnosed initially and do not want the same for my son. I feel torn between what I know and what every article is telling me along with the impression from the doc that there is no chance of infection. I will admit I am super sensitive to the issue.concerned mother
I was just diagnosed with lyme disesae. I went to the doctor 2 years ago complaining about severe joint pain and i was tested for lyme along with arthritis and all tests came back neg. I recently went to the doc because i could walk the pain in my ankles were so bad so i was tested again for lyme and got a pos. result. I was on doxy for 10 days but it caused me severe stomach problems so i had to switch to amoxicillin which ill be on for 10 days. I never thought i would have to deal with something so serious so young. It hurts just to lay down. And its so hard to get out of bed in the mourning for work and school because im so tired. This disesae has nearly ruined my life and the medicine isnt seeming to do anything. I hope everyone who suspects any sign of lyme disesae will go to there doc asap and get it checked out because this disesae is way more serious then it sounds.
Lyme disease is rampant in and around Kyogle, particularly adjacent to the national parks. Since being bitten by hundreds of ticks at a local retreat centre up in the hills, a number of us have positve blood test results for Borrelia, Babesia, Ehrlichia, Bartonella. Please take care to protect yourself properly if in the region!