CHARLES E. HOLMAN FOUNDATION

02/22/2026

“Lyme is one of those infections that can make you feel like you got hit by a truck. Feverish. Wiped out. Achy. Foggy. And it can start as the kind of “I’m just run down” stretch that people blow off for a week or two — especially when it’s winter and everyone’s tired anyway.”

Ticks collected along Umbrella Tree Trail at North Sonoma Regional Park tested positive in pooled samples for the Lyme disease bacterium — a higher-than-usual signal, even in a small sample. Lyme c…

02/22/2026

Lyme positive ticks on Sonoma trail

“Lyme is one of those infections that can make you feel like you got hit by a truck. Feverish. Wiped out. Achy. Foggy. And it can start as the kind of “I’m just run down” stretch that people blow off for a week or two — especially when it’s winter and everyone’s tired anyway.”

Ticks collected along Umbrella Tree Trail at North Sonoma Regional Park tested positive in pooled samples for the Lyme disease bacterium — a higher-than-usual signal, even in a small sample. Lyme c…

02/21/2026

Morgellons disease is complex and often misunderstood. Symptoms can affect the skin, nervous system, and immune response at the same time, making it difficult to fit into standard diagnostic categories.

Because awareness is limited and symptoms may appear unusual, many patients are dismissed or misdiagnosed rather than fully evaluated. This can delay meaningful care and deepen frustration for those seeking answers.

Understanding why misdiagnosis happens is an important step toward better awareness, validation, and more informed care.

Learn more about Morgellons: lymemexico.com/project/morgellons-protocol/

02/20/2026

One of four expert speakers, Martin Mulders, MD will address “The complexity of treating Lyme disease & co-infections” at our upcoming patient conference, April 18, 2026. Early bird tickets available through February 28 at www.palyme.org/patient-conference.

02/20/2026

Special Guest Speaker - Sandy Berenbaum, LCSW - TUESDAY EVENING, March 10, 6:30 PM - https://mailchi.mp/d2017affaa66/dec-16-special-guest-speaker-8347078

02/20/2026

Missed Lyme co-infections are just one of the many reasons why so many patients stay stuck for so long.

In a survey of 3,000 chronic Lyme patients, nearly 1 in 3 reported lab confirmed Bartonella infection. That’s not a small number.

Bartonella can impact the brain, nerves, and blood vessels – and without targeted testing, it’s often overlooked.

When patients and providers know to actively look for co-infections, fewer people slip through the cracks.

Learn more about Galaxy’s Bartonella Testing Bundle: https://www.galaxydx.com/tests-technology/bartonella-testing/

02/20/2026

Sending love to anyone navigating a difficult season or living with chronic illness. You are stronger than you know, and I believe in you. 🩵

02/20/2026

On Wednesday February 18th I joined with over 500 other like minded advocates from across the nation in virtual meeting with congressional offices to increase federal funding for Lyme and associated diseases. Our Texas group was amazing. Thank you to our leadership Kristina Petterson Bauer from Texas Lyme Alliance and many thanks to the wonderful folks Center for Lyme Action for an amazingly organized event.

💚 Key pieces of legislation include the Kay Hagan Tick Reauthorization Act, -gal Allergen Inclusion Act, Stamp Out Lyme Disease Act, and the LymeX Authorization Act.

We had a full day with 5 meetings with the offices of Ted Cruz, John Cornyn, Dan Crenshaw, Keith Self, and Nathaniel Moran. Our personal stories of dealing with tick borne illness (and of course my story included Morgellons) were empowering and collectively I felt as though our voices were well received.

It felt so good to be a part of this collaborative mission. The solidarity, passion and power that is felt in numbers made this advocacy event so very empowering. Together we made a huge impact!

I hope some of you will sign up with Center For Lyme Action to participate in this amazing event next year. You don’t have to be an expert in policy to participate. You just have to care and be willing to share what you’ve been through in seeking diagnosis, treatment and compassion for tick borne illness. There’s power in numbers.

02/19/2026

EDIT: [More] Groundbreaking Evidence of congenital transmission - Lyme disease can pass from mother to unborn baby.

A powerful new case study documents a finding of live Borrelia burgdorferi spirochetes in placental tissue from a Canadian mother’s archived birth sample – imaged by microscopy.

Both mother and child, grew viable spirochetes from body fluids: her vaginal swab, child’s urine. PCR on multiple genes confirmed the exact same strain in both.

Key facts:
• Mother had flu-like symptoms in early pregnancy
• Child had recurrent fevers, pain, sensitivities from infancy – standard tests missed it.
• Serology? Often negative (two-tier fails again!).
• Placenta showed spirochetes via staining + DNA – despite “normal” pathology at birth.

This isn’t theory: cultures, imaging, sequencing from 3 labs spotlights congenital Lyme risks – think neonatal issues, developmental delays – and screams for better pregnancy screening/treatment guidelines.

Read full study:
🔗 https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2607/14/2/406

Here’s Dr Horowitz’s take: https://open.substack.com/pub/medicaldetective/p/maternal-fetal-transmission-of-lyme-disease-and-co-infections-protecting-mothers-and-children

What do you think? Is it time for routine placental PCR?

Share your thoughts below

02/19/2026

We're so proud of LymeLight Grant Recipient, Sam Sofio, for sharing his story on 2 News and using his voice to help others suffering.

"'I don’t remember a tick bite,' he says. 'I don’t remember seeing any bullseye.' But he does remember the moment back in 2020 when everything changed."

As a Cedarville University junior, he went from living a normal college life to dealing with crushing fatigue, intense pain, and symptoms that made it hard to even sit through class. His family spent years (and their savings) searching for answers through tests, specialists, and misdiagnoses. His Lyme test came back negative. But his symptoms were very real.

Eventually, Sam found a doctor who believed him and was willing to treat him. Today, he’s back in school and holding onto hope for full recovery. He was also recently at the US Health and Human Services Lyme disease Roundtable!

Lyme disease doesn’t always look the way we expect. And negative tests don’t mean nothing is wrong.

Read more of his story here: wdtn.com/as-seen-on-2-news/lyme-disease-from-invisible-tick-bite-drains-cedarville-juniors-energy-familys-finances

02/18/2026

Eboni Cornish, President-Elect of ILADS, said, “As a physician of faith, I stood for Lyme patients at HHS. The work is ongoing, and the voices must not fade. The Lyme Disease Roundtable reinforced what clinicians see every day: Lyme disease is complex, underdiagnosed, and deeply impactful. Continued collaboration between frontline physicians, researchers, and federal agencies is essential to advancing care and restoring hope for patients..”

https://www.ilads.org/ilads-contributes-clinical-expertise-to-hhs-national-lyme-disease-roundtable-invisible-illness/?fbclid=IwdGRjcAQCJohleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZA8xNzM4NDc2NDI2NzAzNzAAAR6IbXlhk8Y6pdg8MvlLOcbhpdz1Q7-GJBELHoL_yW_5rmnO7TPHYfmMKt9QbQ_aem_k5bqgmcBzPco1iC-8BNcNQ

International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society Offers Medical Expertise at U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Lyme Disease Roundtable WASHINGTON., December 16th 2025 – The International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society (ILADS) participated today in the U.S. Department of Health a...