Wild 94.9 Radio host DJ Jeffrey “JV” Vandergrift, who was vocal about his heart-wrenching battle with Lyme disease, was found dead exactly a month after he went missing.
The wife of the late Bay Area DJ, Natasha Yi, revealed in a statement shared through the radio’s Instagram account that personal information that was discovered at the time implied that JV would not be coming back.
JV, who went missing last month, had shared his journey with the scary disease in detail with fans while bringing more awareness to its symptoms, which led to one too many wrong diagnoses, worsening his condition.
He was last seen at his home on the 200 block of King Street in San Francisco.
Wild 94.9 DJ JV struggled with Lyme disease symptoms
In a two-part blog post on Wild 94.9’s official website, JV opened up about the symptoms he experienced before being diagnosed with Lyme disease months later.
He started having surges in his head in March 2021 and began to experience brain fog, which made it hard for him to keep up with conversations during his show. The symptoms worsened with time and by May, he was seeing splotches and felt wobbly. Soon, he started experiencing splitting headaches leading to sleepless nights.
He ended up losing 55 pounds and his anxiety shot through the roof. When he met a psychiatrist, he was placed on medications for depression.
With time, he started having “electric surges” in his body and his vision got blurry. However, he was already checked for Lyme disease and the results came negative.
The doctors were unable to tell what was causing the issues after ruling out Lyme disease. His symptoms got worse with changing medications, so much so that he even considered taking his own life.
Medications after official diagnosis were ‘hell on Earth’
On September 13, when VJ couldn’t bare the pain caused by his health issues anymore, he decided to gulp a bottle of alcohol and along with it, he swallowed all the sleep and psych medications he was prescribed for his symptoms.
He ended up in the ER and his boss at the time told his wife to get VJ tested for Lyme again. This time, he tested positive.
However, the medications to treat the disease made VJ feel worse, which he was already warned about. “At the end of November, we started treatment. It was hell on Earth. Not only was I HERXING, my mind and body could hardly deal with the antibiotics they were trying to give me,” he wrote.
Herxheimer reaction is caused when the toxins after killing the infection run through the bloodstream, making the symptoms worse.
The radio host noted these were the hardest months of his life except for occasional “breakthroughs”.
Radio station mourns host’s death
The news about JV’s death has left fans devastated. They were all praying for his safe return after he went missing last month.
Wild 94.9 radio confirmed his passing and paid him tribute by sharing: “With a heavy heart, we must confirm that the body found near Pier 39 on Wednesday afternoon has been identified, family member & Colleague, JV.
We are devastated to know that JV is gone. Please keep his wife Natasha, his family, and close friends in your thoughts and prayers.”
If you are affected by any issues raised in the article or would like someone to speak to, please call the Samaritans for free on 116 123. You can also email them at [email protected] or visit samaritans.org to find your nearest branch in the UK. In the US, please visit Samaritans USA for more information.
You can also contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or text 741741 to get in touch with the Crisis Text Line. Americans can now call or text 988 to reach out and speak to a counsellor.
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