The Ryan Guerin Fund is a special fund that helps financially needy Lyme disease patients who require diagnostic testing for tick-borne illnesses, to be able to afford them when they are otherwise cannot. Monies are paid to the patients in the form of a reimbursement grant, from this fund. Donations are sent to patients with financial need.
To apply for the grant, ask your physician's office to provide you with a form, available from the pennies4patients.org web site.

The fund was established in honor of a young North Carolina Lyme patient named Ryan Guerin, who died of Lyme disease. Ryan served in the U.S. Navy in the first Persian Gulf War. Ryan fought courageously, but because he was not diagnosed early enough in his illness, he never had a chance to regain his health.

Author, advocate and Lyme patient PJ Langhoff had to wait NEARLY 13 years before any doctor would even agree to test her and her children for Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections. To add insult to injury, she was outraged when insurance refused to pay for expensive, but necessary Lyme diagnostic testing. Due to a lack of money, PJ was forced to pick and choose between laboratory tests that she could afford, delaying her diagnosis and recovery for several years!

As an advocate, PJ learned of similar problems with patients who could no longer work due to their illness, and whom could not afford to pay for doctor visits, lab testing, or treatments. Disgusted from her own, and the experiences of other Lyme patients having to choose between essentials like food and housing, versus paying for medical care, PJ vowed to establish a fund so that one day financially needy patients could move forward with necessary tests so they could be diagnosed and treated, instead of simply remaining ill because like PJ, they had no money.

In 2008, following the publication of PJ's "It's All In Your Head" book series on Lyme disease, the Ryan Guerin Fund was established. Proceeds of the sale of these and other books and merchandise by PJ go into this special patient fund. PJ is working hard and hopes to make this fund a non-profit organization in 2009.

The fund also accepts donations from all parts of the world, and anyone may apply for financial assistance, in any part of the United States. Grant funds are directly dependant upon donations received, so please give generously. If you would like to become part of the pennies4patients team, please contact PJ at info@pennies4patients.org. We can link the web site with yours and help you collect funds and make money for your group in the process.

A lack of funds and/or insurance coverage should NEVER stop an ill patient from receiving an early diagnosis. Please give generously so that people with Lyme disease (like Ryan), may be given a fighting chance, before it's too late.

Who Qualifies?
Any patient who may have,
or who has Lyme disease
or other tick-borne illness

What Tests Qualify?
Any Western Blot test
to rule out Lyme disease except
for the ELISA test;
or any tests to screen for co-infections.

How Much is Granted?
That depends on need and available funds.
Only one grant award per family per year. 

*Awards are issued upon funds available.
Only qualified entry forms can be used
to apply for, and receive grant funds.
Entry forms must be signed by the
physician and submitted by mail to
be eligible for grants. Not every
applicant will receive a grant.


Click here to request
an application form

Form must be completed in full
and signed by your physician's office.
The physician's signature will be verified.
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Please give generously so we may
help others receive testing.

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