Lyme Connection Patient Conference and Health Fair Coming May 17 at WCSU

Experts from diverse fields collaborating to advance Lyme disease research, treatment, and education will showcase their latest projects at Lyme Connection’s 12th Annual Patient Conference and Health Fair — “Looking at Lyme Through a New Lens.” Scheduled for Thursday, May 17, at Western Connecticut State University’s Westside Campus Student Center, the event is free and open to the public. Doors will open at 5:00 p.m., giving attendees time to visit the Lyme-focused health fair, featuring tick-control products, Lyme-literate practitioners, diagnostic laboratories, and manufacturers offering prevention and patient support services.

     The evening program begins at 7:00 p.m. with the presentation of Lyme Connection’s second Courage in Journalism Award to Lew Leone, vice president and general manager of WNYW-FOX 5 TV. The husband of a Lyme disease patient, Leone conceptualized and was the executive producer of the Emmy Award-winning TV special, “Lyme and Reason: The Cause and Consequence of Lyme Disease.” Leone ardently supports the dissemination of accurate information about Lyme disease and co-infections.

Attendees will then hear from internationally acclaimed speakers: Wilton, Connecticut based internist and tick-borne diseases specialist Dr. Steven Phillips; Duke University Oncologist Dr. Neil Spector (by video); and patient advocate Dana Parish. Dr. Phillips is a Yale-trained physician who has been treating patients with tick-borne infections for 22 years. He is currently leading a team of top scientists focusing on the development of a novel drug treatment that may be a potential cure for Bartonella and Lyme. Dr. Neil Spector is renowned in the field of breast cancer for his discovery of two life-saving drugs. He is the author of Gone In A Heartbeat: A Physician's Search for True Healing, a riveting memoir detailing his experience in losing his heart to Lyme and going through a heart transplant.                                                

 Dana Parish is a Sony songwriter and singer whose life and career were derailed by Lyme and Bartonella. In addition to writing her popular Huffington Post Lyme disease column, Parish is co-authoring a book with Dr. Phillips chronicling his experience treating over 20,000 tick-borne disease patients. Ms. Parish and Dr. Phillips also co-host interviews covering timely tick-borne disease topics on Facebook chat. 

Phillips, Spector, and Parish will share treatment insights and news about the research projects they are collaborating on. The trio is involved in a first-of-its-kind joint research project through Duke University, Johns Hopkins University, and Tulane University, applying the same precision medicine techniques used in the fields of cancer and HIV.  A roundtable question and answer session with Phillips, Parish, and Leone will conclude the evening.

The WestConn Westside Student Center is located at 43 Lake Ave. Extension in Danbury.  This is the 12th annual event Lyme Connection has held at WestConn, and marks the 15th year the group has provided education, patient support, and advocacy in the Greater Danbury area. For additional information and registration, visit the group's website at LymeConnection.org, or our Facebook page at facebook.com/LymeConnection. 

Admission is free thanks to the support of this year’s sponsors: Dr. Roseann Capanna-Hodge, Hopkinton Drug, IGeneX, Inc., Nutramedix, SOPHIA Natural Health Center, and Tick Box Technology Corporation.

 

B
Submitted by Brookfield, CT

Become a Local Voice in Your Community!

HamletHub invites you to contribute stories, events, and more to keep your neighbors informed and connected.

Read Next