LymeLight, a 30 min film on Lyme Disease awareness
Professional skier Angeli VanLaanen’s story about living with Lyme Disease.
LymeLight is a 30 minute documentary film based on 27 year old professional freeskier Angeli VanLaanen’s battle with Lyme Disease. Lyme Disease is a bacterial infection spread by the bite of an infected Black Legged Tick, commonly known as a Deer Tick.
At the age of 10 Angeli started showing Lyme symptoms such as: chronic sinus infection, fainting spells, dyslexia and fatigue. Angeli suffered for over a decade while continually being misdiagnosed. Through the years, her symptoms fluctuated and progressed into a debilitating chronic illness. In the summer of 2009 Angeli was sleeping for multiple days at a time and experiencing crippling body pain. She was finally diagnosed with Lyme Disease in November of 2009. After her diagnosis, Angeli was forced to put her competitive halfpipe career on hold.
Many children and adults cannot recall a bite, for young Deer Ticks can be as small as a poppyseed. If caught promptly, Lyme Disease can be treated in a matter of weeks. But due to the lack of knowledge in our society and in the medical community, Angeli’s story of misdiagnosis is all too common. Motivated by her struggle, Angeli partnered with director John Roderick of Neu Productions in November of 2011 to produce the film LymeLight to share the raw account of her experience battling Lyme Disease.
About Angeli VanLaanen: Angeli VanLaanen is one of the top female freeskiers in the world. She was featured on the cover of Skiing Magazine, in the pages of renowned skiing publications such as Powder Magazine and Freeskier Magazine, and competed in high level halfpipe events such as the X-Games and Dew Tour. After taking 3 years off from halfpipe for Lyme treatment, Angeli returned to competition and placed 6th at the FIS World Championships and is ranked 9th in the world on the AFP points list for the 2012-2013 season. Halfpipe skiing was recently added to the list of events to premier at the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, Russia 2014. VanLaanen’s dream of being an Olympian is possible now that she is symptom free and in remission.
Angeli VanLaanen: www.angelivanlaanen.com
Read our interview with Angeli