Honoring the Life of Jake Picker

We lost a bright light in the Bartonella patient community on January 20, 2024. Jake Picker, aka the @BartonellaBabe, passed away peacefully Saturday evening surrounded by loved ones at her home in California.
Jake was an exceptional and very talented young woman who turned her health struggles into extraordinary disease advocacy. Despite the demands of her illness and her determination to recover her health, she, with two mothers of patients created a Facebook patient forum, Breaking Down Bartonella, for others navigating Bartonella-associated chronic illness and produced an “edu-tainment” series, Bartonella Babe, on TH-cam. Everything that Jake did, she approached with thoughtfulness and craft.
Our thoughts are with Jake’s mother and other family and friends as they mourn her loss. We will deeply miss Jake’s bright spirit and leadership in the Bartonella community. We are endlessly grateful for all her contributions to building awareness and educating the public on the complexities of Bartonella-associated disease. Finally, we will work harder on our mission and in our work with disease advocates, researchers, and other partners to drive better clinical solutions for patients in Jake’s memory.
Rest in Peace, dear Jake. Your legacy lives on in the hearts and minds of many.