Lyme survivors, advocates, and high profile speakers converged on this year’s event on Oct. 19.

The seventh annual San Diego LymeWalk took advantage of the annual ILADS medical conference being held nearby, bringing nationally known Lyme doctors to town who spoke at the rally.

Dr. Richard Horowitz, one of the country’s most well-known Lyme doctors, was keynote speaker. He also brought advance copies of his soon to-be-released book “Why Can’t I Get Better: Solving the Mystery of Lyme and other chronic diseases.” Here’s what he told the crowd:

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Lorraine Johnson, Executive Director of LymeDisease.org, updated the crowd about a variety of the organization’s activities, including recently raising $150, 000 to purchase a special, high tech microscope for Lyme researcher, Dr. Eva Sapi. See them both in the following video:

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Dr. Ray Stricker, past president of ILADS and medical director of LymeDisease.org, also spoke:

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Brooke Landau, a San Diego TV broadcaster, Lyme survivor, and national spokesperson for Lyme disease, provided live TV coverage of the event and later addressed the crowd.

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Other speakers included Dr. Therese Yang, as well as Lyme book authors Mara Williams (“Nature’s Dirty Needle”) and Katina Makris (“Out of the Woods.”)

Special thanks go to event co-ordinator Maritza Padgett, who also facilitates the San Diego Lyme support group.

TOUCHED BY LYME is written by Dorothy Kupcha Leland, LymeDisease.org’s VP for Education and Outreach. Contact her at dleland@lymedisease.org.