Tick Boot Camp Podcast

Olivia Flowers was featured on the Tick Boot Camp Podcast:

• Episode 644: Beyond Southern Charm: Olivia Flowers on Her Brother Conner, Lyme Disease & Turning Grief Into Advocacy (coming soon)

Television Personality, Lyme Disease Advocate & Project Lyme Advisory Board Member

Olivia Flowers is a television personality known for Bravo’s Southern Charm and an advocate for Lyme disease awareness. Inspired by her brother Conner Flowers’ experience with illness and her mother’s ongoing Lyme journey, she uses her platform to help patients and families feel heard, understood, and connected.

In her Tick Boot Camp Podcast interview with Matt Sabatello, Olivia shares a personal account of delayed diagnosis, invisible illness, sibling grief, and finding purpose through community. Her advocacy honors Conner as a whole person—an athlete, a brother, and someone who wanted to get better.

Who Is Olivia Flowers?

Olivia appeared on two seasons of Southern Charm, Bravo’s reality series set in Charleston, South Carolina. As she began speaking publicly about her family’s experience, she heard from people navigating similar symptoms, unanswered questions, and feelings of isolation.

Those connections helped her recognize that her public platform could reach beyond entertainment and offer something meaningful to people living with Lyme disease.

Why Olivia Flowers Advocates for Lyme Disease Awareness

Olivia’s connection to Lyme disease is rooted in her family. In her interview, she describes watching Conner struggle with fatigue, brain fog, pain, and symptoms that were difficult for others to see. She recalls years of appointments and uncertainty before the family connected with Lyme specialist Dr. Joseph Jemsek.

She also shares that her mother lives with Lyme disease and is now prioritizing her own care after spending years focused on Conner. These experiences inform Olivia’s commitment to listening to patients and helping families understand the impact of invisible illness.

Remembering Conner Flowers

Olivia remembers Conner as a social, athletic young man who loved golf. As his health changed, she saw him struggle with activities and relationships that had once come naturally.

She speaks candidly about chronic pain, prescribed medications, dependence, and his efforts to seek recovery. Conner died in 2023; Olivia explains that his death followed a relapse and accidental fentanyl poisoning. She shares his story to encourage compassion and help others understand the years of illness and attempts to get well that preceded his death.

Her message is a reminder to look beyond labels and recognize the person, family, and life behind a difficult story.

Project Lyme, Public Awareness, and Community

Olivia serves on Project Lyme’s advisory board and has participated in awareness events, public conversations, and fundraising efforts. She credits Ali Moresco and the broader Lyme community with helping her feel supported as she learned to speak about her family’s experience.

Her advocacy has included speaking at Project Lyme events, participating in Project Lab Coat during New York Fashion Week, and attending a Washington, D.C., roundtable with Senator Richard Blumenthal. Through these settings and her social platforms, she helps bring patient and family experiences to wider audiences.

Learn about Project Lyme’s awareness, education, research, and advocacy work, or explore Tick Boot Camp’s coverage of Project Lyme’s 10th anniversary gala.

Olivia Flowers on the Tick Boot Camp Podcast

Olivia joins Matt Sabatello for a conversation about what families can learn from one another, why invisible symptoms deserve attention, and how community can make it easier to speak honestly about illness and grief.

• Conner’s symptoms and the family’s search for answers.
• The experience of being a younger sibling watching a loved one struggle.
• Chronic pain, dependence, and the importance of compassionate conversations.
• Questions about Lyme disease, cognitive symptoms, and mental health.
• Her mother’s care and the importance of caregiver support.
• Learning to advocate without needing to have every answer.

Explore the Tick Boot Camp Podcast for patient stories, family perspectives, and interviews with clinicians, researchers, and advocates.

Honoring Conner Through Future Advocacy

Olivia shares her interest in developing a charity golf tournament in Conner’s memory—a tribute to a sport he loved and a potential way to raise awareness and funds. She describes this as an idea she hopes to bring to life, rather than an event with confirmed dates or registration.

She also hopes to continue sharing information, joining advocacy conversations, and connecting people with a community that understands what they are facing.

Related Conversations and Resources

• Dr. Omar Morales: Lyme Mexico and individualized Lyme care — learn about the clinician and clinic mentioned in Olivia’s interview.
• Dr. Chris Winfrey: psychiatry, brain health, and complex illness — explore a clinician’s perspective on topics raised in the conversation.
• Alec’s Place — learn about the organization discussed in connection with advocacy and mental health.
• Celebrity Lyme disease advocates — meet other public figures sharing their experiences and supporting awareness.

Frequently Asked Questions About Olivia Flowers

What is Olivia Flowers known for?

Olivia Flowers is known for appearing on Bravo’s Southern Charm and for her Lyme disease advocacy.

What is Olivia Flowers’ connection to Lyme disease?

Olivia advocates because Lyme disease affected her brother, Conner, and her mother. Her Tick Boot Camp interview centers on her experience as a sister, daughter, and advocate.

Does Olivia Flowers work with Project Lyme?

Yes. Olivia serves on Project Lyme’s advisory board and has participated in public awareness and fundraising events.

Has Olivia announced a memorial golf tournament?

In her interview, Olivia describes a charity golf tournament in Conner’s memory as an idea she hopes to develop. She does not announce a date, venue, or registration.

Olivia’s story reminds us that advocacy can begin with listening, asking questions, and helping another family feel less alone.