Avril Lavigne Throws Support Behind Justin Bieber After Lyme Disease Reveal

Justin Bieber stunned his fan-base on Wednesday by opening up about his Lyme disease diagnosis, something he’ll get into more in an upcoming YouTube documentary, and it caught the eye of fellow Lyme warrior Avril Lavigne.

The “Head Above Water” singer took to Instagram to show support for her fellow musician, and make a rallying cry for people to stand up and pay attention to this serious disease.

“Lyme disease is in all 50 states in the US and in EVERY country in the world, except Antarctica,” she says. “It is a global pandemic but NOT a global priority.”

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Today @JustinBieber shared that he has Lyme disease. There are too many people that have this debilitating disease! People I love and care about and many friends and fans I have crossed paths with. To everyone affected by Lyme, I want to tell you that there is HOPE. Because Lyme is a daily struggle, for the better part of two years, I was really sick and fighting for my life. Writing #HeadAboveWater helped me get through the worst of it, but the bad days still come and go. At the time, putting together my album saved my life. I needed to tell my story and to be able to share my experiences with others. Lyme disease is in all 50 states in the US and in EVERY country in the world, except Antarctica. It is a global pandemic but NOT a global priority. I never want others to suffer the way that I did, and because of that it is now my mission to raise awareness & funds that will help eradicate this life-altering disease. Portions of proceeds from every show on the rest of the #HeadAboveWater tour and merch sales will continue to go directly to Lyme disease. I will continue to fight and to support! @TheAvrilLavigneFoundation supports people with Lyme Disease, serious illness or disabilities. We raise awareness and aid PREVENTION of the Lyme epidemic. We impact the lives of individuals and families affected by Lyme Disease through TREATMENT grants administered by our charitable partners; and we’ve aligned with @globallymealliance to accelerate scientific research. Please, JOIN US as we endeavor to educate people, prevent the spread of Lyme and find a cure. Our initiatives enable us to provide HOPE and expand the number of lives we’re able to transform. TOGETHER we can do this. #FightLyme #LymeIsReal #TheAvrilLavigneFoundation

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Contracted generally through tick bites, many in the general public don’t seem to realize the seriousness of the disease, or how long those afflicted with it can continue to deal with its debilitating and painful symptoms.

Lavigne revealed to the world in April 2015 that she had been diagnosed with the disease in the previous year. Since then, she has made it her mission to increase awareness of the disease, as well as providing funding for medical research into prevention, treatments and hopefully the eradication of the disease entirely.

The singer said that recording her latest album, “Head Above Water,” helped her get through the worst of it. “Lyme is a daily struggle,” she wrote. “For the better part of two years, I was really sick and fighting for my life.”

“At the time, putting together my album saved my life,” she continued. “I needed to tell my story and to be able to share my experiences with others.”

The Avril Lavigne Foundation was established with a focus on preventing and treatment of the disease, and Lavigne continues to share proceeds of all of her concert ticket and merchandise sales to this cause.

In the comments on her post, actress Evan Rachel Wood revealed that she too was living with Lyme, having contracted it as a child. “It’s brutal and I still suffer symptoms,” she wrote. “Thank you for spreading awareness. There needs to be more research for this disease.”

Bieber spoke out via Instagram earlier in the day on Wednesday, revealing that he was not only dealing with a recent Lyme disease diagnosis, but he also had “a serious case of chronic mono which affected my, skin, brain function, energy, and overall health.”

The singer promised to go into greater detail in a forthcoming YouTube docu-series so fans can see exactly what he’s been going through while they’ve been lamenting the lack of new music (at least until “Yummy” dropped) and criticizing his physical appearance.

“It’s been a rough couple years but getting the right treatment that will help treat this so far incurable disease and I will be back and better than ever,” he said, promising that he would be back with “NO CAP!”

Talk about a great way to raise awareness for Lyme disease. Bieber remains one of the most bankable, recognized and beloved pop stars on the planet and surely his Beliebers will be tuning in to his documentary series to see what he’s been up to.

It is remarkable how little people really know about Lyme disease, considering how prevalent it is, how preventable it is and how severe its symptoms can be.

Perhaps a partnership with Avril Lavigne is in order, along with other prominent figures who’ve battled the disease like Evan Rachel Wood, the Hadids (Yolanda, Bella and GiGi), Shania Twain, Debbie Gibson and Alec Baldwin.

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