Timmy and the Tick

Timmy and the Tick

Timmy is a very active four year old who loves to run with his sister and play with his dog Spikey. But one morning Timmy woke up not feeling well so his mom took him to the doctor. And guess what? Timmy had been bitten by a tick and had Lyme disease. Timmy was lucky that the doctor knew exactly what to do and soon he was able to once again enjoy his favorite activities.

    Timmy and the Tick is written for children 2 to 8 years old and is an entertaining as well as educational story to help kids and parents learn about Lyme disease. It is full of information on the symptoms and tips on how to prevent it.

    The author of “Timmy and the Tick” and “Grouchy Bear,” Judy Coleman, was the Coordinator of the West Virginia Lyme Support Network, 1991-1993. As with many victims of Lyme disease, the author and her family have all experienced the frustration and difficulty associated with having their illnesses diagnosed and treated effectively. Her children were ages 12, 5, and 4 when diagnosed in the early nineties. They are all adults now and leading productive lives.

Lyme disease was first recognized in 1975 in Lyme, Connecticut when several mothers made researchers aware that all of their children had mysteriously been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis.  This unusual grouping of illness led researchers to the identification of the tick-borne bacterial cause of what became known in 1982 as Lyme disease.

    More than 20,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported each year in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC says those numbers represent only a fraction of those infected, as many cases are not diagnosed and reported.

Although Lyme disease has been reported in nearly every state, most cases are reported from these states: New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and California. These areas contain natural habitats of Ixodes ticks.

    Ticks can be transported anywhere by migrating birds, and travelers, so everyone needs to be aware and take precautions.

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For more information about the causes, symptoms and treatments

for Lyme disease, visit these websites:

    http://www.lyme.org

    http://www.lymenet.org

    http://kidshealth.org

    http://www.cdc.gov