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Still battling Lyme disease for three years now, Yolanda Foster took to her Instagram toshare a photo of her 15-year-old son Anwar Hadid carrying her, showing thedebilitating effects of the illness.
The 51-year-old RealHousewives Of Beverly Hills star captioned the picture to her 844K followers,"Thank you for sharing your compassioned heart and carrying me throughthese darkest days of my life @anwarhadid #MissingYouAlready #FamilySuport#MyHealthJourney."
Yolanda has become aspokesperson for the disease and even encouraged other celebrity pals to take abite out of lime for the Lyme Challenge and share the proof on their socialmedia accounts. Her supermodel daughter Gigi Hadid, reality-TV co-stars Kyle Richards, Lisa Vanderpump,Brandi Glanville and Lisa Rinna all participated along with William Shatner,Dr. Oz and Erin Andrews. Yolanda, of course, did the challenge herself withmusic producer legend and husband David Foster by her side, writing, "Ittakes a village, please pass it on."
Lisa Vanderpump took the Lyme Challenge Photo: Twitter
The reality-TV star was diagnosed with Lyme Disease in 2012 and hasspoken out about the effect its had on her life. "I went from being an outspoken,multitasking social butterfly to being trapped in a mentally paralyzedcocoon," she said at the Time For Lyme Gala in April 2013, when sheaccepted the Lyme Research Alliance's Star Award. "Two and a half years ago, I started going to mydoctors complaining about exhaustion, joint pain, insomnia, but mostimportantly, my neurological malfunctions."
Yolanda has been sharing her battle on social media Photo: Instagram
She went on to post a blog on Bravo.com describing the effects of her illness. "I have lost the abilityto read, write, or even watch TV, because I can't process information or anystimulation for that matter," she wrote in January. "It feels likesomeone came in and confiscated my brain and tied my hands behind my back tojust watch and see life go by without me participating in it. Unfortunately Ihave lost the ability to do so in an intelligent matter at this time."
A regular on the red carpet, Yolanda has been forced to give up many of her activities Photo: Getty Images
Trying antibiotics and holistic approaches, Yolanda was able toget a 60 percent recovery before relapsing in December. "The most frustrating thing is thatthere is medical data on Lyme and spirochete infections going back all the wayto 1908," she said. "But yet we still don't have proper diagnostictesting, a vaccine, or a cure for Lyme disease while we are living in theUnited States of America, the most extraordinary country in the world."
Yolanda has reached outto another celebrity with the disease, Avril Lavigne, who announced she wasdiagnosed with Lyme Disease in April. "I took Avril under my wing when shefirst got sick and shared all I know," Yolanda said in an interview with Bravo. She is working tirelessly to find new methods of treatment and experimental therapy.