Fresh Starts & Fierce Advocacy: Illinois Lyme Updates From Jen Russell

With spring in full swing, it’s a good time to look back on our strength, resilience, and progress so far this year. Illinois Lyme Association (ILA) made significant strides in awareness, education, and support for those affected with Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases. Here are some of our highlights:

Partnerships

We partnered with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to design and create Lyme disease awareness trail signs, park posters, and an informational website landing page. In May, I dropped off the first round of signs at IDNR, and you’ll likely see them posted in a state park near you soon.

Education

We provided education to legislators on alpha-gal, which has helped them introduce new legislation to mandate the reporting of alpha-gal cases in Illinois. On April 7th, the bill passed the House unanimously. Now, it’s off to the Senate!

We also hosted the first Lyme Disease Awareness Week online and in-person in Springfield. ILA members had the opportunity to speak to their local legislators and share their personal stories and concerns about Lyme.

Awareness

We attended the Illinois Deer Classic, a three-day event in Peoria. We handed out over 250 ILA bags with information on tick prevention and tick-borne diseases and talked with approximately 300 people over the course of that weekend.

We also partnered with JCC Chicago to bring a free screening of the documentary film Quiet Epidemic to Chicago's Lincoln Square neighborhood. ILA board members were on hand to answer several Lyme-related questions from the public.

Takeaway

Looking forward to the rest of the year, we remain committed to sounding the horn statewide on Lyme and tick-borne diseases, raising awareness, educating the public and healthcare professionals, collaborating with state agencies, and so much more.

We want to express our gratitude for your unwavering support as we continue our mission to improve the awareness and understanding of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases in Illinois.

Warm regards,

Jennifer Russell, Executive Director, Illinois Lyme Association