Finding Resilience

A Teen's Journey Through Lyme Disease

Rachel Leland & Dorothy Kupcha Leland

A story of survival and hope in the face of a debilitating illness

When thirteen-year-old Rachel Leland fell during a soccer game, she had no idea that her life was about to change forever. A seemingly simple injury to her wrist led to an outbreak of inexplicable, debilitating pain throughout her body, leaving her bedridden and needing a wheelchair. This set Rachel and her mother, Dorothy, on a quest to find relief from her agonizing symptoms. Refusing to accept the opinions of doctors who either claimed that she was “faking it” or that nothing could be done, Rachel at last found the underlying cause—chronic Lyme disease.

Rachel and her family were forced into a wildly different reality of long-distance doctor appointments, battles with unsupportive school and healthcare systems, and daily doses of IV medications. Throughout the ordeal, Rachel’s mental health deteriorated as well, landing the teenager in a psychiatric hospital.

Based on the journal Rachel kept during her years battling Lyme and depression, this raw memoir chronicles Rachel’s journey to becoming the strong, healthy woman she is today. Interspersed with Dorothy’s insights, Finding Resilience is an unflinchingly honest and inspiring account of the struggles and triumphs they experienced together.

Rachel Leland is a speech-language pathology assistant who loves working with children. Born and raised in Northern California, she currently resides in the Pacific Northwest. These days, she is often found hiking, doing flying trapeze, and filming and editing videos documenting her life, which she features on her Instagram page, @resilientlyrachel. Through her words and videos, Rachel seeks to inspire, educate, and offer a beacon of hope to others dealing with chronic illness.

Dorothy Kupcha Leland is president of LymeDisease.org, a national patient-advocacy organization. She writes the blog Touched by Lyme and spearheads public education efforts for LymeDisease.org. Co-author of the book When Your Child Has Lyme Disease: A Parent’s Survival Guide, she frequently speaks to groups and the press about Lyme-related issues. Before she became involved in Lyme disease advocacy, she worked as a journalist and a political aide and wrote four books related to California history. She and her husband live in Northern California.