Dear Lyme and Tick-Borne Disease Advocates,

I want to thank each of you for being part of this movement. Whether you are living with a tick-borne disease, caring for a loved one, conducting research, treating patients, or advocating for change, you hold a piece of the solution– and together, we are going to be unstoppable.

Since Center for Lyme Action was founded in 2019, our network of nearly 10,000 advocates has helped secure more than half a billion dollars in increased federal funding for tick-borne disease research, prevention programs, and diagnostic innovation.

This year alone, we submitted Fiscal Year 2027 appropriations requests to nearly all (93%) of participating congressional offices to continue building that momentum.

Complementary roles across the Lyme community

Our approach is intentionally complementary to the incredible work being done across the Lyme and tick-borne disease community.

While patient organizations, nonprofits, clinicians, and support groups are addressing this crisis providing education, patient support, research, and community engagement, Center for Lyme Action works to harness the power of the federal government, engaging both the executive and legislative branches to drive systemic change. These efforts are both essential and mutually reinforcing in solving a complex and growing public health challenge.

As the federal affairs arm of the community, we execute a comprehensive advocacy strategy alongside policy experts, pulling every available lever to accelerate progress. From appropriations and authorizing legislation to agency engagement and sustained congressional education, we work to ensure that the needs of patients and families are reflected in federal policy and investment decisions.

As cases continue to rise, only $103 per patient is allocated toward Lyme disease research through the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)—far less than funding levels for less common vector-borne diseases in the United States.

On a per-patient basis, West Nile virus receives nearly 100 times more funding, and malaria receives approximately 1,100 times more funding. As we work to address this discrepancy, we also continue to work on the challenges of underperforming diagnostics, no curative treatment options, and significant barriers to accessing care.

While there is still much work ahead, the growth in federal funding is leading to real advancements in research, diagnostics, surveillance, and prevention. Every federal funding increase brings us closer to better tools, better treatments, and better outcomes for patients and families.

The human toll behind the statistics

We regularly hear from individuals and families whose lives have been profoundly affected by tick-borne diseases. We are deeply motivated by the hardships so many of you have endured—from delayed diagnoses and limited treatment options to the emotional, physical, and financial burdens these illnesses place on patients and families.

These stories resonate with me personally because I am a patient myself.

Due to complications of tick-borne diseases, I have undergone ten total joint replacements and eight surgical joint fusions and have been permanently disabled. But I always say: it wasn’t that my infections were so severe—it’s that I was misdiagnosed for years. I was treated with immunosuppressants that accelerated my disease. My story isn’t rare—it’s simply what happens when people fall through the cracks of a broken system.

For a long time, my world shrank to four walls, surgery recoveries and an IV pole. At my worst, my functional level was comparable to someone with a spinal cord injury and my fine motor skills comparable to those of a toddler. I lost my independence, my confidence, and at times, my will to fight.

I understand firsthand the uncertainty, grief, and resilience that so many in this community experience. My journey continues to fuel my commitment to ensuring that reliable diagnostics are widely available, clinical education is comprehensive, and patients are believed, treated, and supported across medical disciplines.

A future built on prevention, early detection, and safety

Last week, my husband and I welcomed our first child into the world—a dream that, for many years, seemed impossible. As I hold my daughter, I think about the future we are working to create. I hope she will grow up enjoying the outdoors and all the experiences that have enriched my own life, but in a world where tick safety is a fundamental life skill practiced by every family. I hope her generation will know a future where prevention, early detection, and effective response to tick-borne diseases are the standard—and where federal investment reflects the true human toll of these illnesses.

That future is possible because of advocates like you.

Thank you for standing with Center for Lyme Action and for helping us tackle one of the most significant and underrecognized public health challenges of our time. Together, we are building the foundation for a future where fewer families experience the suffering that has united this community—and where every patient has access to the care, answers, and hope they deserve.

With gratitude,
Meghan Bradshaw, MPH
Executive Director
Center for Lyme Action