Lyme Disease Epidemic Message on the Superbowl Jumbtron - ILADS

Hopefully one day there will be a cure. Merry

Lyme Disease Epidemic Message on the Superbowl Jumbtron - ILADS

Super Bowl just the ticket for Lyme disease education.

The International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society is running a powerful public service campaign to create greater awareness of the misdiagnosis of Lyme disease on a JumboTron outside the XLVI Super Bowl at Lucas Oil Stadium.

"Lyme disease is a silent epidemic in America. We want to alert and educate consumers about this disease, which is often misdiagnosed. Left untreated, it will become chronic and debilitating," said Leo J. Shea, III, PhD, President of the non-profit International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS). "Tick-borne illnesses compromise your immune system and the diagnosis, which is largely based on symptoms, can be elusive unless a physician is Lyme-literate."

Open Eye Pictures and Burgess Communications partnered to create and edit a pro bono spot for the Ilads Super Bowl use. The thirty second spot was created by selecting and assembling footage from Open Eye Pictures' Oscar short listed movie UNDER OUR SKIN and sends viewers to the ILADS.ORG website for more information.

"After four years of research and production — and over 375 hours of footage, what we uncovered is a chilling tale of microbes, medicine and money," says filmmaker Andy Abrahams Wilson. "I want to show the horror of an illness and ill system that too long has been ignored."

Donna Weidel, President of Burgess Communications, adds, "I suffer from Lyme disease and from years of misdiagnosis. Finally I was tested for Lyme - and found a Lyme-literate doctor. Lyme is estimated to be growing faster than AIDS and has become a global health problem. This pro bono spot will draw more attention to the need for better diagnosis."

ILADS is a nonprofit, international, multi-disciplinary medical society, dedicated to the diagnosis and appropriate treatment of Lyme and its associated diseases. ILADS promotes understanding of Lyme and its associated diseases through research and education and strongly supports physicians and other health care professionals dedicated to advancing the standard of care for Lyme and its associated diseases.

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ILADS Board of Directors is very appreciative of any financial support to further Lyme disease educational efforts.