Candice Accola

Candice Accola

Hi. My name is Candice Accola and I am so grateful to lend my voice to spread Lyme Awareness through Lymenaide.

Almost four years ago I was home in Orlando, Florida, visiting my family, and had the opportunity to catch up with one of my dearest friends, Teri Raser, whom I had grown up with.

In elementary school we performed together in our girl group, Girlzone. In middle school we were going to overnight camps. By high school we were double dating to homecoming.

We found ourselves on a friends porch, a year after graduating, and it felt like our lives were just starting. Teri, enjoying her new life as a student at University of Miami. Me, working to start my career as an entertainer in Los Angeles. We had a blast catching up and looked forward to whatever was next.

When, months later, she told me she was sick, I felt it was unfortunate, but I saw (and still see) my friend as the invincible woman. “It’ll pass”, I thought. With a continent between us and busy schedules, we didn’t keep in touch too often. Texts of “Hello’s” here and there.

Little did I know, while I was going on auditions, Teri was touring the top doctor circuit, reaching all the way to Columbia, trying to find out what was making her sick. What was causing her blackouts, seizers, blinding headaches, heat intolerance, and severe Autonomic Nervous System Dysfunction (can’t stand or sit up without blacking out after a few minutes).

Months turned to years. And years turned into a diagnosis of Late Stage Lyme disease. I could not believe it had been years and, not only was she still sick, but that she had Lyme.

All I had ever heard about Lyme was that you got it from a little tick bite. I never knew this disease was not so little. It has the ability to take over your life. I was shocked to hear about all of her symptoms and what this disease had put such a beautiful young woman and her family through. This disease had taken over my friend’s life.

I was even more shocked to learn of the politics revolving around the disease in the medical community. Doctors who’ve saved the lives of patients with Lyme getting their licenses revoked. Which made it difficult for my friend and her family to find a doctor to treat her. (Difficult is an understatement)

For such a complex disease, for all of those who have it, and for all of those working to find a cure, why do most people only know Lyme comes from a tick bite and NOTHING of what it can grow to become?

Why is almost every personal account of Lyme littered with a list of misdiagnosis’ by doctor after doctor?

Why was I not already aware of the seriousness of this disease when my friend told me she had it?

I admire the strength and solidarity of the Lyme community more than I can say with words. I’m ready to learn. I’m ready stand. I’m ready to lend my voice. Let’s Paint May LYME GREEN!

Please help by DONATING TO PAINT MAY LYME GREEN and participating in awareness activities this May!

Candice Accola plays Caroline Forbes on the CW’s hit series, The Vampire Diaries. Click here to see her CELEBRITY BIO

DONATE TO PAINT MAY LYME GREEN (click here)