TOUCHED BY LYME: Game warden who died from Lyme to be honored in Washington DC
His name will be engraved in the National Police Officers Memorial.
Johnny Maisano was an Oklahoma game warden who contracted Lyme disease on the job in the 1980s. After two years of struggle, he succumbed to the illness in 1990.
Now, Maisano will have his name engraved on the National Police Officers Memorial in Washington, DC. The memorial honors law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty.
May 15 is Peace Officers Memorial Day, and that week is designated as Police Week. Tens of thousands of law enforcement officers from around the world converge on Washington, DC to honor their fallen brethren in a variety of ways.
Col. Robert J. Fleenor, chief of law enforcement for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, told an Oklahoma newspaper: “One of the reasons he is being honored is because of his work outdoors which ultimately led to his death.”
Through his work, an Oklahoma game warden will become exposed to various parasites, including ticks and mosquitoes, and some dangerous venomous reptiles such as rattlesnakes, copperheads and water moccasins, Fleenor said. “In the woods, it’s not just the bad guys game wardens have to keep an eye out for.”
When we hear that an officer has died in the line of duty, we may assume it was something immediate, like a gunshot wound or a vehicle accident. But officers who venture out into tick habitat put their lives on the line in an entirely different way. Contracting Lyme disease on the job–and dying from it–is another way of making the ultimate sacrifice.
Johnny Maisano, RIP.
Click here to read the whole newspaper article.
Click here to see the Police Week website.
TOUCHED BY LYME is written by Dorothy Kupcha Leland, LymeDisease.org’s VP for Education and Outreach. Contact her at dleland@lymedisease.org.
This tragic example shows why it is so important that outdoor public service workers get educated about getting protected. LymeDisease.org recently educated several hundred utility workers in the San Francisco East Bay area. I have started contacting rescue organizations who go out in the field, to let them know and start the conversation about getting protected. Let’s keep contacting our social organizations to let them know. Everyone of us can do this, wherever we are.
Sigh.
I was touched by this story as I too live with Lyme. I don’t hear about people dyeing from it often. I had Lyme explained to me by a specialist, Dr. Wayne Anderson in northern Cal, who said when a person contracts Lyme that it will take one direction or an other. One direction is that it slowly slowly takes over & can takes decades to destroy it’s host. The other is that it hits hard & will kill it’s host quickly, but that doesn’t happen often.
I’m on a protocol of 3 tinctures mixed together. They are Cats Claw, Oregon Grape & Echinacea all from a company called Medi-herbs (highest quality), as well as a product line called Orenda. I’ve only started to take Orenda less than a month ago, but I feel better, have more energy. sleep better & am not so uncomfortable in my skin. Maybe this will help someone.
My heart goes out to the officer’s friend’s & family.
It is tragic when anyone dies of Lyme disease. But it is a travesty that so many workers in public service around the country are not provided with protective clothing as they take on the responsibilities of protecting us and serving the public. These include game wardens, park workers, telephone linemen, power company employees, and others.
Thank you, Dorothy, for honoring this man in your excellent blog. We take for granted those who serve us, without realizing the risks they are taking in that service.
Sandy Berenbaum, LCSW, BCD
I hate hearing about this so much. I kinda wish I knew more about his struggle,symptoms, treatment and other stuff. This just shows how important it is for people to be aware! To think that all of this could have been prevented!!
Sad. He deserves the honor.