Nobody escapes the presence of ticks. Whether in gardens, in the countryside, or even on our pets, there are many places where these small bugs hide. They are small but very unpleasant bites, which can even become lethal in both animals and humans.
This was the case of fitness influencer Maria Palen in the United States. After feeling unwell for a while, doctors found out that she had been bitten by a tick that transmitted babesiosis. Babesiosis is a rare Lyme-like disease that caused her partial paralysis, severe weight loss and disabling body pain. Thanks to donations in a GoFundMe fundraiser, she was able to pay her medical bills and is now in a very slow but encouraging recovery process.
Ticks
Ticks are ixodoids, a family of mites. Parasites and hematophages (feeding on blood), they are carriers of numerous diseases such as typhus or Lyme disease.
Most commonly, the consequences of a bite do not exceed symptoms such as itching, swelling in the area or change in skin color. However, some of them can transmit the diseases mentioned above, putting the life of the affected person in danger. Preventing their presence is practically impossible. The only thing we can do is to avoid places where they are usually found, such as fields or farms, keep our pets clean, or use insect repellent.
Babesiosis
This disease is mainly transmitted by ticks and has similarities with malaria. It is a parasitic disease that affects red blood cells, causing unpleasant symptoms as well as anemia. It is usually treatable, but in extreme cases it can be lethal. Some of the symptoms that can be experienced are fever, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, anemia, and in extreme cases, multi-organ failure. It is recommended that if you have been in possible contact with ticks and experience these symptoms, seek medical advice. It also affects animals, which suffer the same symptomatology and treatment as humans.
Who is Maria Palen?
Maria Palen is a 31-year-old content creator famous mainly in the United States. She dedicated her life to sharing content related to fitness and healthy eating until her life changed completely after being bitten by a tick. After several months of illness, in September 2024 she decided to tell her story through her profile on the social network Instagram, wanting to give explanations and visibility to cases like hers.
What happened to her?
On her social media she tells her testimony about how her life took a 108-degree turn after a tick bite. “It started with little aches and pains, little aches and pains that most people might ignore.” By March 2024 his body had given up; he could barely move out of bed and had lost 20 pounds. After numerous tests and after ruling out the possibility of an autoimmune disease, doctors found the cause of his discomfort. He had contracted babesiosis from a tick bite.
The disease caused her partial paralysis of the body, anemia and incapacitating muscle pains. After taking the treatment and noticing a slight improvement, her nightmare returned with more force. At the end of 2024 she was admitted on the verge of death, as her cerebrospinal fluid was full of white blood cells. The doctors were unable to detect what was affecting her spinal cord, but were able to eliminate the infection and stabilize Palen.
Is recovery near?
Palen turned to GoFundMe donations in order to pay the large medical bills generated by his illness. She now explains that doctors have given her “a 33% chance of full recovery, a 33% chance of partial recovery or a 33% chance of no recovery”.
However, she is still fighting to make a full recovery and walk again. “The most progress we’ve seen is in the last month, where my steps are getting better and I can do side steps,” she stated. Hopefully, her tireless spirit will lead her to a full recovery and this will become a nightmare from which she has already been able to wake up.
