Don’t Give Up Before Your Lyme Disease Miracle Occurs Says Ali Moresco

For many Lyme survivors, the journey to diagnosis and healing is isolating, disorienting, and devastating. But for Ali Moresco, that journey eventually became a platform for impact through strategic advocacy, community building, and her groundbreaking work in patient-centered healthcare communications.

I interviewed Ms. Moresco for the Love, Hope, Lyme Podcast. Her story is both deeply personal and remarkably public, a reflection of her transformation from “professional patient” to nationally recognized Lyme advocate and PR thought leader. Ms. Moresco is the Board Chair of Project Lyme and sits on the executive boards of the Center for Lyme Action and the Two Alpha Gals Foundation. She also leads Moresco PR + Communications, a firm that centers patient needs in every campaign.

A Life Disrupted—and Redirected

Now 32, Ms. Moresco began experiencing symptoms of Lyme disease in her early 20s. At the time, she was working in high-profile public relations for celebrities and the entertainment industry. The fast-paced lifestyle came to a halt when her health collapsed under a wave of debilitating and unexplained symptoms.

“I was hit like a ton of bricks,” she recalled. “I had to stop working for two years and essentially became bedridden.”

It took two years to receive a diagnosis, which is a comparatively short period in the world of tickborne diseases, though those two years were life-altering. She was diagnosed with Lyme disease, Babesia, Bartonella, Ehrlichiosis, and relapsing fever.

Initially, Ms. Moresco believed she was alone. “I thought, ‘I’m the only one with these weird vector-borne illnesses. Who’s going to understand this?’” She first shared her diagnosis publicly on Rare Disease Day, not realizing how common her story really was.

That moment marked a turning point.

“I realized, wait a second, this isn’t rare. Insurance is denying my treatment; doctors are telling me I must have lupus or thyroid cancer. And I thought, ‘There’s got to be something I can do to help with this.’”

Advocacy Rooted in Experience

Ms. Moresco’s advocacy work began with a cold email to a Lyme organization based on the East Coast. That message led to several years of successful fundraising in Chicago—raising about $250,000 annually for Lyme education and research. But when her own health demanded that she step back, Ms. Moresco took a break. That time to recover eventually led her to Project Lyme.

Today, she leads the nonprofit’s Board and helps spearhead national awareness initiatives. One of the most visible efforts? Project Lyme’s national public service announcements, which air across streaming platforms, cable TV, and online, connecting the dots for people struggling with “mystery symptoms.”

“The greatest thing I would love for people to know is that if you have mystery symptoms, it could be Lyme disease,” she said. “So many people are taught that brain fog at 25 or arthritis at 40 is normal. It’s not. These symptoms may have a root cause that’s being overlooked.”

Redefining the Role of a “Professional Patient”

Ms. Moresco refers to herself as a “professional patient,” not to elicit sympathy but to signal how she’s harnessed her lived experience as a source of unique knowledge and power.

“You go through this period where your disease is your job,” she said. “You amass this massive amount of knowledge, and you realize the healthcare companies trying to reach you don’t know how to talk to you. They’re not patients.”

That insight led her to launch Moresco PR + Communications. Her firm specializes in helping medical and wellness clients—including clinicians, nonprofits, and biotech companies—speak directly to patients in ways that resonate and respect lived experience.

“I got really sick of the PR language out there: ‘Lupus doesn’t stop me,’ or ‘Crohn’s doesn’t define me,’” she said. “These illnesses are not a choice. If you’re disabled, you’re disabled. You’re not failing at positivity.”

What makes Ms. Moresco’s firm different is its philosophy of “patient-centered PR.” Her team begins each campaign by asking: “What does the patient need from this client?” From there, they reverse-engineer a communications plan.

“If we’re doing our job right, the client will naturally succeed—but the foundation is always the patient,” she said. That mindset has fueled a tenfold growth in her firm over the past two years.

Reclaiming Purpose and Building Resilience

Ms. Moresco’s story is, at its core, one of resilience. She’s quick to acknowledge that healing is nonlinear and that progress comes in fragments—often after years of trial and error. Her message to others living with Lyme is one of hope, tempered by realism.

“One of my very dear friends has always said, ‘Don’t give up before the miracle occurs,’” she shared. “That’s always stuck with me. For me, it was a series of little miracles. It wasn’t until year eight that I saw a big improvement.”

She encourages survivors to keep going, even when progress is invisible to others or to themselves.

“You don’t realize how far you’ve come until you look back. All the little steps add up. One day you notice, ‘I’m up most of the day. I have less brain fog.’ It’s possible.”

She also challenges survivors to reframe their illness as a source of hard-earned expertise and strength.

“There is no one more resilient than a Lyme patient,” she said. “That resilience makes you more prepared to get through future challenges. Don’t discount that. It has helped me not just as a patient but as a founder.”

Getting Involved: Every Voice Matters

Ms. Moresco wants others to know that Lyme advocacy is not limited to writing checks.

“I get a lot of comments like, ‘I can’t get involved because I can’t donate,’” she said. “But that’s just a sliver of what nonprofits need. We need volunteers, awareness-spreaders, storytellers. Even if you just share your story once on Instagram, that’s incredibly helpful.”

For those looking to contribute, Ms. Moresco recommends visiting projectlyme.org and finding a way to connect based on their interests and capacity.

“We have people who host fundraisers and others who just repost educational content. Everything helps.”

A Glimpse at What’s Ahead

When asked what she hopes the next year holds for the Lyme community, Ms. Moresco is focused on a few essential goals: accurate testing, personalized treatment protocols, and increased federal funding.

“I’m confident in my lifetime we’ll see this,” she said. “We’re already seeing momentum thanks to organizations like the Center for Lyme Action, Project Lyme, GLA, LymeLight, and others. It’s a group effort.”

But perhaps most importantly, she wants to see greater general awareness, especially around prevention.

“The best PSA I can imagine is simple: ‘If you have mystery symptoms, it could be Lyme.’”

In closing, Ms. Moresco offered a message for anyone struggling with Lyme or other chronic tickborne illnesses:

“Your life is valued, and it’s safe to take up space in the world. You’re not alone. People like me and Fred, we see you. We know what you’re going through.”

It’s a powerful reminder that visibility itself is a form of healing. When people like Ali tell their stories, advocate for change, and model what’s possible, they create space for others to follow.

So if you’re listening or reading this, and you’re still deep in the struggle, remember: Don’t give up before the miracle occurs.

Click here to listen to all episodes of the Love, Hope, Lyme Podcast or on YouTube.

 

Fred Diamond is based in Fairfax, Virginia. His popular book, “Love, Hope, Lyme: What Family Members, Partners, and Friends Who Love a Chronic Lyme Survivor Need to Know,” is available on Amazon. The e-version (PDF) of the book is always free to Lyme survivors. PM Fred on Facebook or LinkedIn for your copy.