Fellow Survivor Avril Lavigne Throws Support Behind Justin Bieber After Lyme Disease Reveal

Justin Bieber stunned his fan-base on Wednesday by opening up about his Lyme disease diagnosis, something he'll get into more in an upcoming YouTube documentary, and it caught the eye of fellow Lyme warrior Avril Lavigne.

The "Head Above Water" singer took to Instagram to show support for her fellow musician, and make a rallying cry for people to stand up and pay attention to this serious disease.

"Lyme disease is in all 50 states in the US and in EVERY country in the world, except Antarctica," she says. "It is a global pandemic but NOT a global priority."

Contracted generally through tick bites, many in the general public don't seem to realize the seriousness of the disease, or how long those afflicted with it can continue to deal with its debilitating and painful symptoms.

Lavigne revealed to the world in April 2015 that she had been diagnosed with the disease in the previous year. Since then, she has made it her mission to increase awareness of the disease, as well as providing funding for medical research into prevention, treatments and hopefully the eradication of the disease entirely.

The singer said that recording her latest album, "Head Above Water," helped her get through the worst of it. "Lyme is a daily struggle," she wrote. "For the better part of two years, I was really sick and fighting for my life."

"At the time, putting together my album saved my life," she continued. "I needed to tell my story and to be able to share my experiences with others."

The Avril Lavigne Foundation was established with a focus on preventing and treatment of the disease, and Lavigne continues to share proceeds of all of her concert ticket and merchandise sales to this cause.

In the comments on her post, actress Evan Rachel Wood revealed that she too was living with Lyme, having contracted it as a child. "It's brutal and I still suffer symptoms," she wrote. "Thank you for spreading awareness. There needs to be more research for this disease."

Bieber spoke out via Instagram earlier in the day on Wednesday, revealing that he was not only dealing with a recent Lyme disease diagnosis, but he also had "a serious case of chronic mono which affected my, skin, brain function, energy, and overall health."

The singer promised to go into greater detail in a forthcoming YouTube docu-series so fans can see exactly what he's been going through while they've been lamenting the lack of new music (at least until "Yummy" dropped) and criticizing his physical appearance.

"It's been a rough couple years but getting the right treatment that will help treat this so far incurable disease and I will be back and better than ever," he said, promising that he would be back with "NO CAP!"

Talk about a great way to raise awareness for Lyme disease. Bieber remains one of the most bankable, recognized and beloved pop stars on the planet and surely his Beliebers will be tuning in to his documentary series to see what he's been up to.

It is remarkable how little people really know about Lyme disease, considering how prevalent it is, how preventable it is and how severe its symptoms can be.

Perhaps a partnership with Avril Lavigne is in order, along with other prominent figures who've battled the disease like Evan Rachel Wood, the Hadids (Yolanda, Bella and GiGi), Shania Twain, Debbie Gibson and Alec Baldwin.

Got a story or a tip for us? Email TooFab editors at tips@toofab.com.