Vanessa Holden | What is Lyme Disease?

Whatislyme.com would like to recognize people in the Lyme community that have done something to try to help the Lyme community. There are several “unsung heroes” in our community and we would like to just offer them a little recognition and make sure that their achievements and efforts don’t go unnoticed.

Introducing Vanessa Holden

If you have ever talked to Vanessa, she is a very shy, sweet soft spoken person. She is also suffering from Ross Fever, Lipoderma and Lyme Disease. Her days are hard, full of fatigue, pain, seizures and all the symptoms Lyme patients know so well.

A couple years ago, there was an event held called the “Worldwide Lyme Protest.” 30 countries joined forces to all hold protests and awareness events on the same day to let the world know that tick borne infections are a global problem. As sick as Vanessa was, she stepped up to the plate. And what she did was amazing.

With the help of her mother Rachelle and a couple other Lyme friends, she organized a huge event in Union Square, NYC on Fri, May 10, 2013. The line up of speakers at this event was amazing. Now Vanessa was working as part of the Worldwide Lyme Protest grassroots effort. We had no money to help organizers, no big teams helping us, just Lyme patients doing their best to gather speakers and crowds in public places to try to educate others on Lyme Disease. This was no easy task, especially for someone who was very sick.

Here was the line up of speakers that day.

Speakers:

Worldwide Lyme Disease Awareness Rally – May 10, 2013, NYC, Union Square, South Plaza: 12-4 pm

Programme:

12:00 Musical lead-in

12:30 Dr. Daniel J. Cameron – NY (past president ILADS, president 2013), Lyme and epidemiologic research

12:45 Dr. Eva Sapi – CT, University of New Haven, Dept of Biology and Environmental Science

1:00 Gerald T. Simons – NY, PA-C, works at the Morrison Center, NYC.

1:15 Dr. Charles Ray Jones – CT (ILADS, pediatrician who has treated 20,000 children in Europe, Australia, US, Canada, Mexico, S Africa, Pakistan, India, Singapore, China, Japan, N. Korea, S. Korea, Saudi Arabia etc.

1:30 Tracy Hans – NJ, LPC, ACS, Lyme literate Psychotherapist

1:45 Jeff Christiansen – NY, Fire Island four poster deer program

2:00 Jill Auerbach – NY, Hudson Valley Lyme Disease Association – tick prevention

2:15 Douglas Nadjari, Esq. – NY, who successfully counseled Dr. Liegner through the OPMC process

2:30 Meghan Harrison – PA, Lyme patient, recipient of TBDA Courage Award, 2013

2:45 Ariana Sierzputowski – NY, Lyme patient

3:00 Dr. Andrea Gaito – NJ (co-founder and former president ILADS, current Treasurer, ILADS) rheumatologist/internist

3:15 Dr. Kenneth B. Liegner – NY, internal medicine/critical care, treating Lyme since 1988

3:45 Musical finale

Pam Weintraub – NY, author “Cure Unknown” – book signin

Newspaper article stemming from the rally:
Poughkeepsie Journal: VIDEO: Rallies to raise awareness of Lyme disease, challenge CDC treatment guidelines

Vanessa getting flowers for her birthday as she speaks at the rally.

Pam Weintraub introducing Dr. Liegner and sharing some of her Lyme story
Photo: Katherine J. Kornblau-Susskind

Dr. Liegner delivering his speech – May 10, 2013
Photo Credit: Katherine J. Kornblau-Susskind

Eva Sapi, Lyme researcher with her little daughter, speaking to the New York crowd and Lyme patients
Photo by Chrysa http://mylyme.org/

Eva speaking as Dr Jones and Lyme patients look on

Dr Jones speaking at the NYC Worldwide Lyme Rally
Photo by Chrysa http://mylyme.org/

Jerry Simons fires up the crowd at the NYC rally – May 10, 2013
photo: Katherine J. Kornblau-Susskind

Dr. Cameron giving his speech at NYS Lyme Awareness Rally – May 10, 2013
Photo: Katherine J. Kornblau-Susskind

Vanessa with Dr Jones

Ariana shares her personal struggle with Lyme Disease at the NYC Lyme Awareness Rally in Union Square Friday 5/10/13.

Tracy Hans Speaking at the Podium
Photo by Chrysa http://mylyme.org/

Photo by Chrysa http://mylyme.org/

Photo Credit: Donna Baez Brunner

Photo by Chrysa http://mylyme.org/

chrisajj Photo by Chrysa http://mylyme.org/

chrisa8 Photo by Chrysa http://mylyme.org/

Photo by Chrysa http://mylyme.org/

There are so many touching pictures… please VISIT HERE for more pictures!

And a big THANK YOU to Vanessa Holden and her mom Rachelle for organizing one of the biggest events in Lyme activism history.

Introducing Vanessa Holden

Vanessa getting flowers for her birthday as she speaks at the rally.

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