Project Description
OUR MISSION is to bring awareness about Lyme and other vector-borne diseases to Kentucky and other states by educating the public and medical professionals of the seriousness of Lyme Disease while providing support and advocacy for Lyme patients.
Lyme is everywhere including our own backyards. Lyme travels by way of ticks on animals including birds, squirrels, deer, mice, and even on our own pets. We have had several patients contact us that don’t understand how they even got Lyme Disease. They lived in an apartment and actually hate the outdoors. They never gardened, never went fishing, never even went camping. One even said he’s always on cement so how did he get Lyme? The first question we ask then is do you have a pet? He stated yes. Your pet goes outside and they put their head in some bush or plantation where ticks thrive. They come back into your home and bring any ticks, they may have picked up with them. The tick moves from your pet to you. If you have a pet, the risk of getting Lyme is increased.
KYLDA was formed to educate the public and medical professionals about Lyme Disease. We have some of the best doctors in the United States but we have been told by several doctors and nurses, who have come down with Lyme, that they were never taught about Lyme in medical school. Treating Lyme Disease is very complex. Some of us cannot just sit by and not do anything to help patients, their caregivers, and their doctors. We still have a few people who do not understand that Lyme is indeed in Kentucky. We have some that do not recognize that a bulls-eye rash is the telltale sign of Lyme Disease and no testing is needed. Immediate treatment is necessary. Yet, there are still a few people who do not understand that less than half of patients even get a rash and it isn’t always a bulls-eye.
