Famous Singer Opens Up About Brutal Lyme Disease Battle, Says She 'Accepted Death'
At just 33 years old, singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne could write volumes about the brutal disease that has consumed her life for the past several years.
Lavigne burned her way into the music scene in the early 2000s, and she was the antithesis of other popular singers at the time like Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera.
Her music was angst-filled and catchy, her attitude was blunt and sour, and teens just couldn’t get enough.
And then, Lavigne disappeared off the music radar. Fans had their own speculations as to why, but in April 2015, Lavigne told People magazine she had been diagnosed with Lyme disease.
“I felt like I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t talk and I couldn’t move,” she said at the time. “I thought I was dying.”
A single bite from a tick has devastated the Canadian singer’s life to the point where Lavigne said she had accepted death as her fate.
On Sept. 6, Lavigne re-emerged into the public eye by releasing a letter on her website that delved deeper into her battle with Lyme disease. She announced the release of her first album in five years featuring her new single, “Head Above Water.”
The singer admitted that talking about the disease isn’t easy, but it’s something she feels a personal responsibility to do in order to help others.
“Those were the worst years of my life as I went through both physical and emotional battles,” Lavigne wrote. “I was able to turn that fight into music I’m really proud of.”
“Head Above Water,” was written in what Lavigne described as “one of the scariest moments of my life.”
“I had accepted death and could feel my body shutting down,” she wrote. “I felt like I was drowning.”
Now that Lavigne has emerged healthier and stronger than she’s been in years, she’s committed to using her platform to educate others on Lyme disease prevention as well as connect people with “Lyme Literate Doctors,” who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease.
“People aren’t aware that Lyme must be treated almost immediately,” Lavigne explained.
“Often if they are aware, they go untreated simply because they can’t get a Lyme diagnosis!” she said. “And even when they do get a diagnosis, a lot of times they simply can’t afford the treatment.”
Lavigne’s foundation is working to help solve all of these issues surrounding Lyme disease. The singer is eager to get back to work, humbled and thankful to use her suffering for the benefit of others.
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