Twins Jessica Bedrinana and Jamie Johansson, MOUNTAINS 2 BEACH Marathon – May 2017

Twins Jessica and Jamie ran in honor of Jessica’s daughter Sophie, age 10, who has been struggling with Lyme disease and co-infections, and PANDAS after more than a year of misdiagnosis.

Sophie started to complain of fatigue and joint pain after having what seemed to be a mild illness. Sophie had hiked and played outdoors all summer long, but by September she complained about walking down hill to school. Her condition was exacerbated by a strep infection. In November she became a different child altogether. Her mystery illness causing pain, fatigue, and neuropsychiatric problems which culminated in her being hospitalized twice and misdiagnosed twice. It was devastating to learn that the doctors ultimately decided it was a psychological problem. Her mother Jessica persisted in trying to find the source behind her symptoms, as she knew something was terribly wrong.

After a year of struggling Sophie was diagnosed with Lyme disease and Co-infections and PANDAS. This led to specialists and treatments, which finally helped her along a path of healing. Sadly, this story is only one of many suffering. These illnesses are considered to be controversial and hence many treatments are not covered by insurance. Sophie’s family continues to pay most of her expenses out-of-pocket and have struggled to make it work. They realize that for many families affording treatment is simply impossible.

As Jessica explains, “It is extremely important to me for these illnesses to get the recognition and support they deserve. All families should have access to effective treatment. Jamie and I dedicated our marathon to my daughter, Sophie. We raised funds for LymeLight Foundation to help other children suffering with Lyme disease receive treatment that they cannot afford. We appreciated all the support we received!”