Cathedral of the Incarnation- Altered Photography by Tracey Grumbach

Cathedral of the Incarnation- Baltimore, MD

Why do I speak out about something so personal and private to me as a chronic illness? Because of amazing people like the following, who reach out to me on an almost daily basis telling me to keep working, keep talking, keep reaching out because it makes a difference in people's lives.

Emails, messages, and posts from others, such as the following, keep me motivated to continue this work (Names are modified to initials for privacy)-

"The whole experience of the event for us was what K likes to call an "Agreement". The both of us have many parallels with your story - your journey. We are are inspired by your work and your insights. "Hauntingly Beautiful" is what K called your pieces, and so we see your experience inside each one. I heard someone once say when going through their most challenging times, they prayed their experiences could be used as a tool for others - that their story would be of service to others. It seems this is (at least) part of your path, so thank you for putting so much "out there" as it truly is of service!"

and

"Hello. I am very interested in your presentation about Lyme on May 5. How do I sign up for this? I have chronic Lyme in my family and find it difficult to find help in South Carolina. I would appreciate any help . I also see there is a run for lyme May 7 in Ashburn , VA. We would like to make these and support Lyme treatment. Thank you for all you do."

 and

"Thank you for your courage to come out on Lyme, we are becoming a 'screaming' voice as my husband's story is similar and we are in the fight for his life with a LLMD out of NJ.... it was refreshing to see someone speak out in the Whig."

These people and many more is why I continue on...


May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month...Would you be so kind as to make a small donation to the non-profit organization I am passionate about, NatCapLyme Association, who raises money for Lyme Disease education, legislation, research, and patient support? I would very much appreciate it! In order to keep tabs on how much money we raise, please follow these directions to make a donation.

1.  Go to NatCapLyme.org's donation page.
2.  Click on Fundraising Event in the tab section.
3.  In the Select Event for Fundraising dropdown menu choose the bottom one...Arts By the Bay Gallery Ticked Off Lyme Disease Awareness Event.
4.  Fill out the rest of the form and submit!

Thanks so much for any help you could give. This really is a great organization. I attend the support meetings of my local chapter and they are champions of getting the word out in Harford County and beyond.

Be sure to come out and see me Friday, May 5th from 6PM-9PM at Arts By the Bay Gallery in Havre de Grace for the Ticked Off event. I will be showing my art, speaking about my journey through this disease, and we will also have lots of fun activities!