Dickinson College Alumni Team Up to Educate Public About Lyme Disease
Dickinson to host Tick Talk 2019
Carrie Perry ’94, founder of Sam’s Spoons Foundation, and her daughter Sam, who undergoes Lyme disease and co-infection treatments.
May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month. Dickinson and Sam’s Spoons Foundation, a nonprofit created by Carrie Perry ’94, will host Tick Talk 2019, an expert panel discussion on Lyme disease with special guest Stephen Smith ’92, president and CEO of L.L.Bean, and a documentary film showing of Under Our Skin. All events will take place on Tuesday, April 30, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Anita Tuvin Schlechter (ATS) Auditorium. Dickinson also will host vendor tables and information on Lyme disease in the Holland Union Building from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Lyme disease is a potentially devastating infection spread through a tick bite, fooling many by imitating symptoms of various other diseases. Prominent speakers and researchers in the area of Lyme disease education, research and support will share information on the multilevel health and wellness challenges for those who love the outdoors.
Speakers and panelists include Mary Beth Pfeiffer, author of Lyme: The First Epidemic of Climate Change; Neil Spector, a top oncologist and researcher from Duke University, sharing how approaches to cancer research will inform new Lyme disease therapies; Chris Turnpaugh, discussing co-morbidity of Lyme disease and molecular mimicry of human tissue; Jeff Stauffer, sharing tick tracker devices and apps available to educate and assist with the fight against tick-borne illnesses; and special guest Stephen Smith ’92, who will discuss his company’s education and outreach efforts.
Sam’s Spoons Foundation was created in 2018 by Perry to help defray the out-of-pocket expenses incurred by families affected by chronic and medical conditions from Lyme disease and co-infections. The nonprofit organization is focused on helping those in need financially, while working with other nonprofit organizations to raise awareness, provide educational outreach efforts for youth and their families, instill the importance of prevention and push important policies around tick bites and Lyme disease in Pennsylvania.
The panel discussion, which also will be livestreamed, is a collaboration between Perry and fellow Dickinson alumna Heather Ditillo ’92, who is affiliated with the LivLymeFoundation. Both women have children affected by Lyme disease.
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Published April 26, 2019