Tearful Avril Lavigne says she has Lyme Disease; Australia still denies it exists.

By Maria Kyriacou

Tearful Avril Lavigne says she has Lyme Disease; Australia still denies it exists.
The Canadian singer has spoken out about her struggle with Lyme disease over the last year, describing it as the ‘worst time of her life’.

The singer says she developed the debilitating bacterial infection after being bitten by a tick while on tour, but a definitive diagnosis was a long time coming.

An emotional Lavigne opened up to Good Morning America’s Jesse Palmer expressing the difficulty she faced in getting a diagnosis, and fearing she was going to die,

“I was seeing every specialist, and literally like the top doctors … It was so stupid. They would pull up their computer and be like, ‘Chronic fatigue syndrome’ or ‘Why don’t you try to get out of bed, Avril, and just go play the piano?’ or ‘Are you depressed?’ ”

Lyme disease remains controversial in Australia and a source of frustration for people who feel they exhibit the symptoms, as the Government maintains a ‘no Lyme here’ position.

On the 29th of May, the Department of Health published a response to approximately 22,000 postcards that were sent to MP’s from their constituents demanding action on the contentious issue.

“In a country where the presence of Lyme disease has not been confirmed, such as Australia, it is not possible to reliably diagnose Lyme disease on clinical signs and symptoms alone as there are many other diseases (infectious and non-infectious) that can have similar clinical features.”

The Canadian singer says she was forced to be her own advocate, and wants to raise awareness. She has tweeted her encouragement to sufferers of the disease, urging them to find the correct treatment.

The 30-year-old Sk8ter Boi singer was bedridden for months but says she is halfway through her treatment, taking antibiotics and getting lots of rest. She is expected to make a full recovery.

Do you believe you have Lyme Disease or think it should be acknowledged in Australia?

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