But She Looks Fine: From Illness to Activism

by Olivia Goodreau

Overview

So many young people are faced with life-changing hardships—from illness and disease to loss and calamity. What Olivia Goodreau discovers through her journey with chronic Lyme, and what she has been sharing with the world, is that inside of every predicament is also a possibility. This is the story of how Olivia turned the physical challenges and emotional hardships she had faced since she was a little girl into an engaged life of advocacy for others.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781592114191
Publisher:	Histria Books
Publication date:	05/28/2024
Pages:	146
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Olivia Goodreau is the founder of the LivLyme Foundation and inventor of the free global app, TickTracker. Olivia founded the LivLyme Foundation in 2017 when she was 12 years old, to raise money for children who cannot afford their Lyme medication and doctors’ visits, and to fund research to find a cure for Lyme and tick-borne diseases. Olivia hopes the LivLyme Foundation will positively impact those that suffer from all tick-borne diseases. As the inventor of TickTracker, she is striving to educate the public and keep people safe while creating a database for research.

Editorial Reviews

"This book will make you stop in your tracks, pay attention, and captivate your heart in a deeply emotional way. It’s a story beyond Lyme disease - but a story about a child who grew up having to fight for her life." —Ally Hilfiger

"The music world has Aretha, Cher, Madonna & Adele. The Lyme world has Olivia." —Jeff Crater, Co-Founder Center for Lyme Action

"This young powerhouse knows what it means to start a movement from the grassroots level. She has been selfless and courageous in openly sharing her story. I’m so darn proud to be her Wingman…I’d follow her anywhere." (Ret.) Colonel Nicole Malachowski, United States Air Force First Female U.S Air Force Thunderbird Pilot

"I think Olivia is an inspiration and she is my hero." —Dr. Neils Spector, Duke University

"Olivia has been one of those people who generated a whole movement. She has raised awareness, her foundation has raised awareness, and really something people did not think about, but now they do. And it’s because of Olivia." —Dianne DeGette, U. S Representative of Colorado

"Olivia is a ten plus year survivor, a true inspiration and has done more in her short life so far, than most ever do in a lifetime." —Ryan Sutter, ABC’s Bachelorette TV Show

"I want to thank you for all the great work you are doing." —Mark Hamil, Actor

"Young people are changing the world - and Olivia is proof" —Sheryl Sandburg, Chief Operating Office at Facebook

"As a fearless advocate and compassionate friend to all whom she inspires, Olivia emerges as a voice for a marginalized, abandoned, suffering patient populations. She is the hope and voice of the future." —Susan Green, Legislative Counsel at NatCap Lyme

 

"A tale of persistence amid invisible illness that offers insightful advice."—Kirkus Reviews

"If you want an inspiring read, pick up a copy of But She Looks Fine." —Dorothy Kupcha Leland, President of LymeDisease.org

From the Publisher

2023-04-24
Young activist Goodreau recounts how she became an advocate for people with Lyme disease.

In second grade, Goodreau began suffering blackouts, vision loss, and shooting pains. She saw over 50 specialists in one year to no avail; doctors blamed her symptoms on hypochondria or the Colorado altitude. Finally, in third grade, she was diagnosed with Lyme disease—but antibiotics didn’t work. Though a doctor declared she’d have Lyme her whole life because of delayed treatment, Goodreau, always adventurous, resolved to get better. She created Lyme fundraising challenges on social media, and celebrities and politicians took up the cause. But school bullies targeted her, and as her fame increased, people even accused Goodreau of faking. Undaunted, Goodreau, who presents White, started the LivLyme foundation at age 12 to help families dealing with Lyme disease. Further advocacy included creating TickTracker, an award-winning app, and helping Sen. Susan Collins pass the Kay Hagan Act, which funded research for tick-borne diseases. Though her narrative is somewhat disjointed, interspersed letters to parents, kids, doctors, researchers, and politicians offer insightful advice. Suggestions include reminding parents to be mindful of their children’s feelings, encouraging kids to defend bullied classmates, and urging doctors to be persistent in finding solutions. Acceptance from her new high school classmates and improved health—after a regimen including 86 daily pills and a leprosy drug—provide a hopeful conclusion. Sidebars offer facts about Lyme disease.

A tale of persistence amid invisible illness. (Memoir. 12-adult)

Kirkus Reviews