‘Worth it’: Eight-year-old shows signs of improvement after Lyme disease treatment

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — An eight-year-old girl is seeing promising signs of improvement after receiving Lyme disease treatment, her mother says.

Bentley Klassen received the treatment in Mexico from September 20th to October 7th. Her mother, Ashley Klassen, described the experience as both emotional and hopeful.

According to Klassen, the treatments went “really well,” and Bentley is now on a three-month home treatment plan that her family must follow closely. While she continues to experience some setbacks and side effects, Klassen said they’re optimistic about her progress.

“It was incredibly hard watching a seven-year-old go through everything she did, though she actually celebrated her eighth birthday while we were there, which made it extra special,” Klassen told Energeticcity.ca.

Lyme disease is a bacterial illness typically spread by ticks. Symptoms range from rashes, fevers and headaches to migratory pain, arthritis and nerve pain.

As a result, Bentley Klassen suffers from exhaustion, fatigue and severe memory loss, which led to her being taken out of class at Clearview Elementary and Junior Secondary School in Goodlow.

Bentley’s story first captured attention in June, when a GoFundMe campaign surpassed its $20,000 goal, raising nearly $24,000 to help fund her treatment. The funds covered IV antibiotics, nutrients and hypothermia therapies designed to strengthen her immune system.

“For us as parents, what we’re seeing so far has been worth it, even though we’re still in the hurdle stage,” she said. “Overall, she’s moving in the right direction.”

Klassen said she will have a clearer idea of how effective the treatment was by the end of the three-month period.

“We’re still in the early stages, but to see even small improvements means the world to us,” Klassen said.

Bentley’s journey has drawn widespread attention and support online. Her Facebook page, Stay Wild, Bentley’s Fight, has grown from about 800 followers before the trip to around 5,900.

Some of her treatment videos have reached hundreds of thousands of people, with one at over 805,000 views, 9,000 likes and 136 shares.

The page continues to share updates about Bentley’s recovery and her ongoing treatment process.