For a Niagara man diagnosed with Lyme disease, being able to walk without a cane is a small victory. Now 26 year old Jeff Faber is on a mission to fully regain his health and in order to do so is turning to an expensive treatment overseas.
Three years ago Faber landed his dream job working in the kitchen at Trius Wintery in NOTL. But only 3 months after he began he started feeling flu like symptoms that would only get worse, to the point where he quit his job and begin walking with a cane.
Although Faber regained his movement through physiotherapy, he began to suspect Lyme disease was responsible for other symptoms and although he tested negative for the condition in Ontario, U.S. tests came back positive.
“The disease is newer to Canada than it is in the U.S. or Europe. The ticks in Canada have been largely moving north from the United States under the influence of climate change.”
Vett Lloyd, professor in biology at Mount Allison university, has been researching ticks and Lyme disease for the past 7 years and says doctors find it difficult to diagnose.
Faber says there are few treatment options in Canada, which is why he plans to travel to Germany to receive stem-cell treatment.
In order to help fund the treatment which can cost nearly $35 000, Fabers’ family has set up a GoFund me account.