< All Champions

Bucky Pasquarella

​My name is Bucky Pasquarella but online I go by Buckworm. A few years ago, my life started to fall apart in ways I couldn’t explain. I was exhausted all the time. My joints ached. My heart would race out of nowhere, and I felt like I was disappearing inside my own body. I went from doctor to doctor, but no one could give me real answers. Some dismissed me entirely. Others ran tests that came back “normal,” even though nothing felt normal anymore.

Eventually, I was diagnosed with Lyme disease, but by then, the damage was already done. Not just physically, but emotionally. Being gaslit by parts of the medical system made me question myself constantly. Was I exaggerating? Was this in my head? It’s a terrifying place to be, feeling like you’re screaming into the void while your body is falling apart.​

Lyme took a lot from me, including my ability to live the fast-paced life I once had in film and production. But it also pushed me to adapt and find a new voice. I started creating content as Buckworm, not just to keep myself moving, but to tell the truth about what this illness is like. I want others dealing with chronic illness and invisible pain to feel seen. You’re not alone, and your experience is real, even if people don’t always understand it.

I’m honored to be one of the Inflammation Creations Champions and to represent the Lyme community through this collection. They're not just a pieces of clothing. They're  conversation starters, reminders, and symbols for everyone who’s still fighting, still searching for answers, and still standing in the face of something so hard to explain.