$2,584 raised by 12 donors
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$5,000 Goal
Why is it important to increase your awareness about Lyme and Other Tick-Borne Diseases/Associated Illnesses? Lyme is the most prevalent vector borne disease in the US and there are nearly 20 known pathogens that ticks may transmit in our country. These infections and associated illnesses can be life altering or even life ending.
We are dedicated to supporting patients, families, educators, outdoor professionals, recreationists, and medical care providers within Colorado and beyond to find the resources they need for prevention as well as access to early and accurate diagnosis, treatment, and support for Lyme & other tick-borne diseases and associated illnesses.
Prevention is the most effective means to avoid tick-borne diseases and associated illnesses; and access to timely, accurate diagnosis and care is key to a positive outcome when exposed to the many pathogens that ticks can transmit or illnesses/conditions that a tick bite may trigger.
There continues to be conflicting information about the risk of infection and how best to treat Lyme and other tick-borne diseases and associated illnesses. Lack of research, monitoring, and surveillance efforts in Colorado has left gaps of knowledge about the prevalence and risk from ticks and the diseases they carry that affect people and pets in our state. Experience and training in recognition, diagnosis, and treatment of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases is not prevalent in the mainstream medical community in Colorado, leading to delayed diagnosis and care for too many.
We are determined to help fill in the gaps of information regarding what we know about distribution and prevalence of ticks and tick-borne infections in Colorado through citizen science studies in order to better describe the risks in Colorado.
We wish to help our Colorado medical care providers recognize, diagnose and properly treat patients faced with these too often debilitating or even deadly diseases. We are determined to support patients seeking a timely and correct diagnosis and those that are fighting chronic illness as a result of infections, most often those patients sick with Lyme disease, the most commonly reported vector-borne illness in the United States.
We founded Colorado Tick-Borne Disease Awareness Association, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2016 to effectively carry out our mission to help others!
Colorado Tick-Borne Disease Awareness Association (COTBDAA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established in August 2016 with the mission to elevate awareness of Lyme and other tick-borne diseases/conditions for Coloradans through education, prevention, research, and advocacy, as well as providing patient support.
In 2013, after years of undiagnosed illness in our family, we became alarmed at the realization that the degradation of our health was due to multiple tick-borne infections, including Lyme disease. Who knew that the bite of a single tick could cause so much damage? How is it that we were not aware of the risks, prevention measures, and the signs and symptoms of disease? Why wasn’t this information being shared in our schools, workplace, medical offices, or in our communities? Why weren’t there better diagnostics or access to care from knowledgeable professionals in our state?
We discovered that the issues surrounding Lyme and other tick-borne diseases affect far too many Coloradans and that risk, prevention, and recognition of these diseases is not common knowledge in our region of the country.
This lack of knowledge led to years of pain and suffering that changed my life and the lives of my husband and children. Our struggles made us determined to make a difference for others!
We provide education, information, and awareness necessary for individuals to protect themselves from tick bite exposure, to recognize the symptoms of diseases and associated illnesses, and to advocate for themselves, their families and their pets when faced with an infection or associated illness no matter where they live, work, recreate, study, or travel.
Organization name
Colorado Tick-Borne Disease Awareness Association
2016
Tax id (EIN)
81-3611916
Category
Education, Civil Rights, Social Action & Advocacy, Diseases, Disorders & Medical Disciplines, Environment, Health Care, Public & Societal Benefit, Science & Technology, Animal-Related, Human Services
Organization Size
Small Organization
Address
9996 W US HWY 50 PMB 1115CO, US
Chaffee County, CO, US