Josh and Ethan are two young men from Utah who share a special bond. Not only have they been good friends since they were little kids, but they also both know what it’s like to suffer from long-term Lyme disease.

Josh got it first. In high school, he started experiencing severe fatigue and other debilitating symptoms. In time, he was diagnosed with Lyme disease and started antibiotic treatment. It was a long hard trek, but ultimately, he got better.

Eventually, Josh and Ethan lived together as college roommates. Within two years, Ethan started exhibiting health problems too—problems that looked a lot like Lyme disease. Spurred on by his friend, Ethan got tested for Lyme in 2020. He too was positive and started on his own treatment journey.

Bonding over Lyme treatment

Ethan and Josh’s friendship strengthened even more as they bonded over treating Lyme. It was not an easy process for either of them, but they persevered. Despite various setbacks, Josh graduated from college in 2021, and Ethan will graduate this summer. Because of their experiences, they have become fierce advocates for others with long-term Lyme disease.

In that spirit, they are sponsoring a screening of the Lyme documentary “The Quiet Epidemic” on March 14. Their goal? To educate the public and raise money in support of LymeDisease.org’s research project, MyLymeData.

More than 17,000 patients have joined MyLymeData, with a goal of 20,000 participants by 2024. The data is critical to help researchers find a resolution to chronic Lyme disease and enhance patient care.

Josh and Ethan’s screening will take place at SCERA Center for the Arts, 745 So. State St., in Orem, Utah.

Click here for tickets.

Can’t go in person, but would like to donate? Click here.

Learn about MyLymeData.

Watch the trailer for The Quiet Epidemic.

TOUCHED BY LYME is written by Dorothy Kupcha Leland, President of LymeDisease.org. She is co-author of When Your Child Has Lyme Disease: A Parent’s Survival Guide. Contact her at dleland@lymedisease.org.