Richard Underwood, a Winnipeg resident, said he had to travel to New York to get treatment for his chronic Lyme disease. According to Underwood, he joined the Canadian Forces in 2007 as a teen and that's when he believes he contracted the disease.

Lyme disease is spread through bite of black-legged ticks, also known as deer ticks. They live in tall grass and fields. Underwood said he felt his first symptoms in 2007, but they disappeared soon after.

Years of pain, fatigue, memory loss and doctor visits followed before he was diagnosed with chronic Lyme disease in May 2015 by an American doctor. Underwood said after the diagnosis, he felt as if some weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

Underwood is presently receiving treatment from a doctor in New York that is expected to take between three and five years. The cost is up to $100,000. He cannot work due to the disease, and had to put his studies at the University of Manitoba on hold, Underwood said.

By sharing his story, he and his friends hope that it will help raise awareness, and inspire other to ask questions about chronic Lyme disease in Canada.

Dr. Richard Horowitz, Hyde Park, N.Y., internist, said, "I see new Lyme patients ever day. Multiply that by the number of doctors".

Dr. Marc Tack, IDSA member and infectious-diseases director at HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley in Kingston, N.Y. said in a statement that most Lyme patients respond to antibiotics and get better.