A Santa Clarita woman with Lyme disease has set up a GoFundMe Page to help pay for medical bills that are not covered by her insurance.

When Sara Sterkel was 13 years old, she had a bite and a rash and experienced flu-like symptoms, she said in a GoFundMe page. 

“I was taken to a very large and well-known medical group out here in SCV where I tested positive for Lyme disease,” Sterkel said. “The doctors told my mom that it wasn’t common, as we now know not to be true, as it is in all 50 states, and not to worry about it.” 

Sterkel continued with her belief that this was the “worst medical advice possibly given.” 

Standard treatment for an initial early-stage tick bite includes a minimum of 30 days of antibiotics. If administered promptly and properly at initial infection, the patient has a chance of beating the disease before it spreads into a chronic incurable form, according to Sterkel. 

“I spent the next 13 years experiencing painful and distressing symptoms, many of which mimic other commonly diagnosed diseases,” Sterkel said. 

Growing up, Sterkel was very physically active and spent almost all of her time outdoors in nature. 

“I have always had a passion for animals and helping people,” Sterkel said. “I worked seven part-time jobs putting myself through college. I graduated from CSUN Cum Laude, with honors, and was pursuing my teaching credential at the University of La Verne.” 

Sterkel was four classes away from graduating with a teaching credential when her life completely changed and turned “upside down.” 

“The Lyme disease infection had spread from my muscles and joints to destroying my brain, my heart and my nervous system,” Sterkel said. 

On Dec. 15, 2013, Sterkel was driving home in the middle of the night on the freeway where the I-5 and 14 freeways split when she suffered a “mini-stroke,” and spent that Christmas in the hospital. 

“For the next two years, I was in and out of the emergency room and hospital experiencing life-threatening and debilitating symptoms,” Sterkel said. 

After the stroke, Sterkel saw multiple different doctors and underwent several different tests. She said she was told that she had many different conditions, ranging from fibromyalgia to cancer. However, none of those turned out to be accurate diagnoses, according to Sterkel.  

“After two very long, painful years of complete torture and being in fear for my life, I found a doctor who retested me for Lyme, and I tested positive for Lyme disease and co-infections Babesia, Ehrlichia, Mycoplasma, mold and heavy metal toxicity, and more,” Sterkel said. 

Sterkel has not been able to return to work or school since 2013, and says she has been fighting for her life ever since. Without being able to work and provide for herself, she says she cannot afford doctors visits and life-saving treatments. 

Sterkel has set up a GoFundMe page in efforts to raise money to help pay for her treatments.

“All funds donated to this GoFundMe will go directly towards medical bills and treatment so that I can continue to survive and ultimately help others and advocate for this community,” Sterkel said. 

In addition to the fundraising page, the Chuy’s location off of The Old Road is set to donate 10 percent of all proceeds earned on Monday, July 15, to Sterkel. For a flyer for this event, click here. 

To read Sterkel’s full story and to contribute toward her cause on GoFundMe, click here.

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