Dr. Jones thanks the Lyme community for their outpouring of support over the past few days. He will be able to continue his practice, saving the lives of countless children.

Letter from Sheila Statlender, a staunch supporter of Dr. Jones:

Dr. Jones would like to thank everyone for your incredible support.  Because of the tremendous number of contributions from the community, you have allowed him to meet the deadline he was facing with his landlord and other creditors.  He has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support, both financial and otherwise, and is very thankful that he will be able to keep his doors open.

While the immediate challenge has been addressed, the crisis has served to bring to our attention the extremely stressful conditions under which Dr. Jones and his staff continue to operate.  For the time being, enough funds have been raised to provide a bit of a cushion, should another unforeseen event interrupt the daily flow of patients.  The total amount raised is being calculated, and that figure will be made available shortly.

Going forward, a group of us are investigating other possible solutions, to alleviate some of the considerable stress that Dr. Jones faces on a daily basis.  Due to the many years of having to defend his practice before the Connecticut Medical Examining Board, Dr. Jones has to work long hours at his advanced age, to pay for the high cost of the practice monitor and related clerical expenses.  In order to compensate for loss of income due to court appearances and other demands on his time posed by his legal battle, he works within a very tight budget.  While some of these expenses have been offset by the generous contributions from the Lyme community, he continues to endure financial pressures as he remains devoted to the children he treats.

Many of you have wondered how his knowledge and experience will be passed on to future generations of physicians.  Dr. Jones dearly wants to devote more of his time to writing, to share his vast experience with future generations. It would be wonderful if the current crisis could serve as a catalyst for us to address these concerns, and to assist Dr. Jones in developing a viable plan for preserving his wisdom, lessons and legacy.  One possibility would be to create a non-profit foundation for this purpose through continued fundraising, building on the momentum of these past several days.  Our group  will be looking into this and other possibilities.  We welcome your ideas and suggestions.  Please stay tuned!

Sheila Statlender

Massachusetts advocate

To view a video of Dr. Jones thanking everyone, go to the Children’s Lyme Disease Network on facebook.

Dr. Jones is a hero to the over 15,000 children with tick-borne diseases he has successfully treated, their parents and loved ones.

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