Governor’s Lyme Disease Task Force Hears Stories of Loss-- Next Hearing April 25
A teenage boy, a mother whose daughter died from Lyme complications, and formerly active young people shared their stories of pain, fatigue and fear. Citizens expressed gratitude for the opportunity to be heard by the panelists who will propose recommendations to the governor after its final hearing April 25.
Mikey Pedersen, a 14-year-old Vienna resident, spoke of going undiagnosed for a year despite seven doctor visits. He said doctors attributed his symptoms to growing pains and the delay allowed Lyme and co-infections to spread throughout his body causing rashes, severe joint pain, and fatigue.
Kristina Sheridan, mother of two Lyme children, urged the panel to recommend spraying the edges of school fields and soccer fields with permethrin to kill ticks as fields are already being treated for West Nile. "I've no doubt both my kids got bitten by ticks on soccer fields."
Nine hundred new cases were reported in Virginia in 2009, a number the CDC acknowledges could be ten times higher due to underreporting and inaccurate diagnostic tests.
“These heartrending cases of misdiagnosis, financial ruin, and social isolation are difficult to hear as we travel throughout Virginia, yet it is important to gather first-hand testimonies about the personal impact of long term illness,” said Task Force Chairman Michael Farris. “We are eager to affect change to avoid more infections and more lives wasted.”
The final Task Force hearing on the educational needs in Lyme and tick-borne disease will be held Monday, April 25 in Fairfax.
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