Ashbourne woman urges lovers of the outdoors to be vigilant after ‘terrifying’ battle with Lyme disease

An Ashbourne woman who underwent gruelling but successful treatment for Lyme disease in Germany has expressed her gratitude to all those whose donations helped fund her treatment.

Anne-Marie Doyle was housebound, and often bed bound after falling ill almost five years ago.

It took a year of dealing with debilitating symptoms, before she was diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease, linked to a bite from an infected tick.

Thanks to a very generous response to a fund raising campaign, Anne-Marie travelled to Germany where she had revolutionary treatment for the disease and although she still suffers neurological pain as a result of her lengthy illness, today she is free from the Lyme disease infection.

Anne-Marie and her husband Darragh believe they should not not have had to fundraise for her treatment, but the HSE's Treatment Abroad Scheme does not cover the treatment.

"They say that the treatment for Lyme disease is two weeks of antibiotics, but for many people, especially those diagnosed later, that doesn't work. We have met many who were in the same boar," Darragh explains.

The couple are anxious to highlight this shortfall in the Treatment Abroad Scheme, pointing out that a lot of Irish people have had to travel to Germany for treatment. They also urge lovers of the outdoors to be vigilant about the dangers posed by ticks, which can spread debilitating Lyme disease to humans.

When Anne-Marie became unwell in February 2022, every system of her body started to shut down and she became bed-bound, barely able to speak or eat.

Unable to sleep for more than two hours, even with medication, her weight dropped to 48 kilogrammes, just 7.5 stones.

Having exhausted their savings seeking treatment for Anne-Marie, the couple had to moved back in with parents and fund-raised for the treatment in Germany.

Anne-Marie was in the prime of her life. She was 33 years old, trained in social care, supporting women and children fleeing domestic violence, survivors of the Magdalene laundries, and children with special needs.

She was physically fit, passionate about teaching yoga and helping people, but by the age of 36, she was fully dependent on Darragh for basic needs. He had to help her up the stairs, to shower and to eat.

It was a “terrifying” few years seeing “endless specialists: cardiologists, neurologists, immunologists, infectious disease specialists, gastroenterologists, sleep and respiratory experts and many more”.

“Anne-Marie underwent multiple rounds of antibiotics and a cardiac rehabilitation programme. There was also a recovery programme, using a breathing rehabilitation tool, 50 sessions in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber and two years working with a specialist physiotherapist.

Despite all this treatment Anne Marie remained very unwell and her medical team were unable to offer any further guidance on getting her well again.

Hope came when Anne-Marie’s grandmother put her in touch with a cousin who was suffering similar symptoms and had been diagnosed with Lyme disease.

“We’d never heard of it, and her medical team hadn’t suggested it, despite a huge overlap of symptoms,” says Darragh.

Tests carried out in the UK confirmed she had Lyme disease, judged as chronic due to the duration of her symptoms.

Two years after her diagnosis and multiple treatments later she was referred to the Klinik St Georg in Bad Aibling in Germany which specialised in the treatment of chronic and late-stage Lyme.

They were faced with the task of fundraising for the treatment through a GoFundMe page. "We received so much support it was wonderful and we will be forever grateful."

Anne Marie travelled to Germany with Darragh in October last year.

She was started on a triple course of antibiotics and on two occasions had a treatment which involved raising her body temperature to 40 degrees.

She was put under anaesthesia and her body was gradually heated up, kept at over 40 degrees for two hours and gradually cooled to normal.

She was wiped out for days after that and recovered in ICU. "It was horrendous, she wasn't allowed visitors because her body had been through so much, but a week after the second treatment her energy began to come back. She was able to get up, go to the canteen and meet with other patients. They took great care of her. She had a number of co-infections which they treated as well.

"Tests have now shown she is completely clear of Lyme disease, but she still needs to recover from all her body has been through and she still has neurological symptoms."

Anne Marie was a great lover of the outdoors and hiking which may have been responsible for her contracting the disease.

As with many sufferers, Anne-Marie doesn’t remember being bitten.

“In 2016/2017, we lived near Beaufort Co Kerry, right beside Killarney National Park, which is a known Lyme hotspot. We led an active lifestyle, hiking regularly, but never saw public information warning of the dangers of ticks or Lyme. We wouldn’t have known what to look for or to expect."

Among the symptoms suffered by Anne-Marie before her treatment were excruciating nerve pain, migraines, tremors, weakness, extreme exhaustion, nausea and insomnia.

Most people with early symptoms of Lyme disease develop a circular red skin rash around a tick bite, which can appear up to three months after being bitten by a tick. however, not not everyone with Lyme disease gets the rash which can lead to lengthy delays in diagnosis, which is why Anne Marie urges people to check themselves for ticks after spending time outdoors.

Anne Marie continues to travel over to Germany where she receives treatment to improve her immune system and for neurological symptoms and her GoFundMe page remains open.

She hasn't been strong enough to return to work yet, but she is building up her strength and is considering teaching yoga as a new career.

DGC Studios gym in Navan is hosting a fundraiser for Anne-Marie on 31st October 2026, with over 40 people will take part in a five-hour fitness challenge, pushing themselves physically to help raise much-needed funds.

The challenge, named "Every Beat Counts," will see participants work together to accumulate an incredible 62,000 Heart Points, representing the €62,000 needed for Anne-Marie's treatment.

Each participant will wear a live heart rate monitor, with their efforts tracked on screens throughout the day. The harder they work, the more points they earn, with everyone contributing towards one collective goal.

Anne-Marie's husband Darragh will give a talk starting at 8am on the morning.

If you would like to get involved, please click here and contact DGC Studios. To donate to the DGC Studios fundraiser, please click here.

To donate directly to Anne-Marie's fundraiser, please click here.