Episode 293: Multigenerational Lyme - an interview with Debbie Kimberg

Debbie Kimberg is a 55-year-old author, activist, and director of International Expansion for Merchant Services at JP Morgan Chase from Dallas, Texas.

Ms. Kimberg, her mother, and her 3 children have been diagnosed with Lyme disease. Despite 3 generations of the family exhibiting classic Lyme disease symptoms, Lyme was not a consideration until after the youngest child, Sammy, was diagnosed.

Sammy’s Lyme journey began prior to birth, when a brain development issue was discovered on a prenatal ultrasound. He saw a neurologist at birth and then doctors and special education service providers diagnosed him with ASD, ADHD, Tourette's syndrome (TS), OCD, Autism and PANS.

At the age of 10, Sammy was also diagnosed with Lyme disease by a functional doctor. At the same time, Ms. Kimberg was also diagnosed. Finally, Sammy’s test results led doctors to test his 2 brothers and his grandmother.

For most of Sammy’s life, his family, doctors, and teachers believed his disability would limit his ability to work and require him to live in a long-term residential facility. However, in the past 18 months, Lyme and Bartonella treatment protocols have resolved his learning disabilities and ADHD. As a result, he is reading above grade level, attending school in the general education population, and studying for the ACT college entrance exam in anticipation of attending a 4-year college.

The Kimberg family’s lengthy congenital Lyme disease journey activated Debbie. She has participated in advocacy forums, podcasts, articles, and has authored a soon to be published book titled “Our Hijacked Brain: A True Story of Infection, Autism, ADHD and Psychiatric Issues”.

If you would like to learn more about how a Lyme advocate was born out of solving a multi-generational medical mystery, then tune in now!