Donato Viola was photographed by NYC artist Amanda Crommet as part of an exhibition of former and current Ridgefield Lyme patients at the Ridgefield Library. This exhibition was part of Building a Model Community Response to End Lyme Disease presented by Ridgefield Library, Lyme Connection and SmartRevenue that launched in April 2016.
The exhibition also involved Allie Cashel author of Suffering The Silence. Her book explores the value of telling and sharing the patient story in recovering from diseases such as Lyme that are often misunderstood and invisible to the outside world.
The ten Ridgefield patients were interviewed by Ms. Cashel and their individual quotes accompany each portrait. Donato, a student at Scotts Ridge Middle School wrote this poem to describe his experience.
Active chronic Lyme disease
Yes, it's real!
Extreme exhaustion
Fogginess
Memory loss
The never-ending headache
That's just a few of my symptoms.
They just don't believe me.
I can't just “suck it up,"
I'm just not the same person.
Until I'm 100%, my life has been
interrupted.
They say I look fine,
but don't be fooled...
Even when I'm in a good mood,
the struggle is constant and real.
The road is long, but I will get
better.
I am a warrior.
The exhibition generously sponsored by the Berisford Family is currently being shown at the Ridgefield Library through on Thursday, June 30th.
R