OC couple perseveres

Submitted Photo

 

Oklahoma Christian University student Sean Layman and his wife Alyssa represent the typical high school sweetheart love story – they met before their senior year, came to Oklahoma Christian together, and got married three years later on May 25, 2012. Soon after that, their story changed dramatically.

A few months into their marriage Alyssa became sick, but her usual doctor could not pinpoint the cause.

“In October, when she started getting really bad, she was just really tired all the time and was in a lot of pain and that is when we really started hitting all the doctors,” Resident Director for Phase 5 Paige Bailey, Sean’s sister, said.

After three or four months of visiting doctors, having surgeries and running tests, Alyssa’s doctor suggested Lyme disease. As Lyme disease typically requires a specialist, his knowledge on the disease was slim.

“Alyssa and her mom just went and did a ton of research,” Resident Director for Warlick Hall Sean Layman said. “They found a doctor in Columbia, Mo. and we went and visited him and took some more tests. I can’t tell you how many tests she took – she was basically a pincushion.”

The final confirmation that Alyssa had Lyme disease came in December 2012 when she was 22. Though the disease is a struggle, Alyssa perseveres.

“Sometimes she does get pretty depressed, but she really does try to take on every day, and any small thing that anyone does for her just makes her so happy, even if it is a card or something like that,” Layman said.

Lyme disease is contracted via tick bite but the virus can lay dormant in the host’s body for years until the immune system is compromised. From there, it can cause a myriad of symptoms.

“Almost every single symptom you can have of being sick, you can have while you have Lyme disease,” Layman said. “Alyssa has chronic pain, chronic fatigue … she catches every sickness because her immune system is so bad.”

Besides struggling with the pain and illness brought on by the disease, Alyssa also deals with the issue of being plagued by an “invisible illness.” Bailey points out that even though a person with Lyme disease might look perfectly healthy to everyone else, their body is in immense pain from the illness.

“There have been times when I have driven her somewhere and we have gotten out and gotten her in her wheelchair and people will give us the worst looks, and I just want to hold her because I know that is upsetting for her,” Bailey said.

Since Alyssa’s diagnosis, students at Oklahoma Christian have found ways to help the young couple.

“We figured out their bills are pretty expensive, too, like for going to get blood transfusions and all kinds of stuff,” sophomore and resident assistant Drew Swadley said. “We prayed about it one night this year and one of my guys said ‘Hey, we should try to do some sort of donation for them.’”

Through the housing department, the campus raised over $2,000 for the Laymans. More plans, including a T-shirt and 5K,  are in the making to assist them financially while also raising awareness for Lyme Disease.

“We prayed for her and I didn’t want it to just be a prayer, I wanted something to actually happen,” Swadley said. “Then, one of my guys felt called to raise money for her and we decided to actually do something for her.”

The Laymans are immensely thankful for the outpouring of support.

“[The fundraising made us feel] blessed,” Layman said. “It was beyond words, you know. Especially knowing how much some of the things are going to cost, so this fundraising just blew us away. It has been longer than a year that she has been sick, so for someone to do something for us, that is just awesome.”

Throughout the emotional and physical battle against Lyme Disease, Sean and Alyssa have continued to grow as a couple.

“Going through all this together has brought us together even more,” Layman said. “I knew every day that I was married, I would love Alyssa more, but going through all these hard times and even being away from each other, we have just grown closer and closer together.”

Family members and students have witnessed their strength throughout the journey.

“Most of the time, [Sean] is a pretty joyful person,” Swadley said. “They both have God and Jesus and they are pretty happy. I think he is handling it pretty good, but sometimes you can see it gets kind of stressful.”

Lyme disease can quickly take over a body, but it does not have to take over a life.

“I am very proud of Sean,” Bailey said. “I have never seen someone love someone that much. The support he gives her and how strong he acts every day for her, it is something that not a lot of people have to do at such a young age and especially at such an early time in your marriage.”