Ellie Lobel was 27 when she was bitten by a tick and contracted Lyme disease. Her first doctor told her it was just a virus, and it would run its course. So did the next. 

As time wore on, Ellie went to doctor after doctor, each giving her a different diagnosis. Multiple sclerosis. Lupus. Rheumatoid arthritis. Fibromyalgia. None of them realized she was infected with Lyme Disease until more than a year after she contracted the disease — and by then, it was far too late.

“I just kept doing this treatment and that treatment,” said Ms. Lobel, president of Beevinity, LLC in Scottsdale, Arizona. Her condition was constantly worsening. She describes being stuck in bed or a wheelchair, not being able to think clearly, feeling like she’d lost her short-term memory and not feeling “smart” anymore. 

“I would get better for a little while, and then I would just relapse right back into this horrible Lyme nightmare. And with every relapse it got worse.” 

So she packed up everything and moved to California to die. And she almost did.

Less than a week after moving, Ms. Lobel was attacked by a swarm of Africanized bees. Ellie, like 1-7 percent of the world’s population, is severely allergic to bee stings. As the bees swarmed her and began to sting, she told herself this. 

As it turns out, that bee attack was a new beginning and the medicine that made the difference.

On Sunday, Aug. 21, Mount Hope Farm will feature Ellie Lobel as guest speaker in the farm’s historic Barn from 3-5 p.m. Using her own personal experience to foster awareness of the global challenges facing honeybees as well as the benefits they bring to the world, Ms. Lobel will offer a discussion on the merits, challenges and options for bee venom therapy as a potential treatment for Lyme and other maladies.

“Mount Hope Farm has launched a small but mighty beekeeping program on our landscape, with an eye toward building it into a core part of our programming,” Executive Director Jennifer Bristol said in a release. “We are pleased and privileged to have been able to bring Ellie to the Farm as part of her East Coast speaking series and look forward to sharing this with the community.” 

The lecture begins at 3 p.m. with a suggested donation of $5 at the door. Refreshments (and honey) will be served. Space is limited so those interested are advised to RSVP to the farm office at 401-254-1745. 

Mount Hope Farm is located at 250 Metacom Avenue, Bristol, Rhode Island, 02809. For more information, call 401-254-1745 or visit the website at www.mounthopefarm.org.