Each day of May for Lyme Awareness Month in 2015, whatislyme.com would like to recognize someone in the Lyme community that has done something to try to help the Lyme community. There are several “unsung heroes” in our community and we would like to just offer them a little recognition and make sure that their achievements and efforts don’t go unnoticed.
Today we would like to honor Sharon Rainey.
Sharon is a support to so many. She has a very positive online presense and shows up to support many Lyme events. She has written a couple books to help those with Lyme disease and other tick borne infections. Sharon, along with her wonderful husband, Jeff, who we all know and love, supports the Holiday wishlist that is done on whatislyme.com every year too. She donates several of her books to Lyme patients on the list and her husband Jeff donates his honey he makes at home. Sharon also sends handwritten cards to random Lyme friends throughout the year! How sweet is that? She is also an animal lover and we enjoy her puppy stories everyday.
Sharon also runs, “My Neighbors Network.” You can see where she chronicals her journey through illness there.

Sharon wrote a book called, “Making a Pearl our of the Grit of Life.” This book is about the path through the early trauma of Lyme disease and how Sharon ended up with, “not the perfect” life, but with one she is very happy about.
Sharon is also working on a new book called, “Lyme Savvy,” which she is writing along with Dr. B. Robert Mozayeni. This book is about:
- Where we’ve been and where we are going
- Case studies
- Diagnosis
- Treatment
- Aspects of Healing
You can learn more about Sharon’s books or purchase them at: Pinctada Publishing.
Sharon has supported all “The Mayday Project’s” events. Her and her husband Jeff attend each protest and many years have had a “cook out” for all the Lyme patients that attended afterwards at their house.





Sharon’s Lyme Story
Part of Sharon’s story taken from: The Mosquito Squad blog:
“In June of 1981, Sharon was a bright and happy high school senior when viral meningitis attacked. By October, she was sleeping 23 hours a day and had to drop out of college for a semester. The doctors had no definitive diagnosis, but no one suspected a tick-borne disease.
For the following ten years, the disease remained relatively quiet, only surfacing through bizarre but seemingly unconnected symptoms: sun sensitivity, dental problems, recurrent sinus infections, and migraines. After the birth of her son, more painful and debilitating symptoms developed including joint pain, gallbladder problems, H.Pylori infection, hypothyroidism, elevated heart rate, daytime sleepiness, numbness in her hands and feet, occasional blurred vision, and vitamin deficiencies. “
Written by Lisa Hilton

Tributes to Sharon from friends:
One of the reasons I chose to write about Sharon today, is she really has touched my life. I have always felt a connection to her kind spirit. Sharon is one of those people who never realizes that she HAS touched people’s lives. She has said things to me like, “I feel bad, like I’m the worse friend ever, I don’t ever reach out to anyone.” Seriously, nothing could be further from the truth. I think sometimes when you do have that virtue of wanting to help everyone, you think you haven’t done your part if you can’t help eveyrone. But surely Sharon has helped many and will continue to do so with her online support, showing up at Lyme awareness events and getting the truth about Lyme disease out through her books. I see Sharon going through some serious healthy issues right now and just wanted to let her know how loved she is.
~Lisa Hilton
If you would like to write a tribute to someone in the Lyme community that has made a difference to you Contact Us Here.
Thank you Sharon for all your support and love!
sharon,
thank you/hubby for all you do for us.
how wonderful your inviting folks after the mayday project activities and your extreme generousity to others 😉
bettyg, iowa activist
I don’t know of anyone that doesn’t love Sharon. Through all her own health problems she still manages to support others. Yes, I love her like a sister.
You rock Sharon!
Thank you for the awareness you bring to lyme and thank you for your books you wrote. God bless
Thank you Sharon for all you do on behalf of this community. You are a positive presence and make an awesome team with Jeff.
Thanks Sharon for all you do for us.. 🙂