New York, NY
Infected: Summer 2006
Diagnosed: Fall 2006
Born and raised in New York, I was seven years old when my life changed. I was doing what kids do one summer – dancing, playing sports and staying active. Then I started experiencing pain, and for months, stumped doctors after x-rays and dozens of blood tests returned no answers. I was finally diagnosed with Lyme disease. The summer of 2006 remains a constant reminder of how that one moment put me on the path to who I am today and the impact I wish to bring to all those who have suffered or have had family members suffer from Lyme disease.
I do have chronic Lyme, but I consider myself to be one of the lucky ones. Today, there are days where I still face difficult challenges, but I take it one step at a time. After my diagnoses, I lived a fairly normal life, and went on to graduate from Lehigh University in 2021, majoring in Political Science, Marketing and Entrepreneurship. After a year of working in finance, I finally decided to take a leap of faith and commit to my life-long purpose of making an impact in the world of ticks and Lyme disease. In December 2022, I left my job and launched TiCK MiTT along with my business partner, who happens to be my father, to channel pain into purpose and protect public health. Our flagship product, the TiCK MiTT, is a scientifically engineered, chemical-free solution designed to help remove ticks before embedding into the skin. Available in a variety of colors to fit your needs, TiCK MiTT’s material works like Velcro to find and remove loose ticks, making it an essential piece of safety equipment for outdoor work and recreation. Consumers simply rub their TiCK MiTT across skin, clothing, gear, or pet fur after an outing to remove loose ticks. From there, simply place the mitt in the bag, put it in the dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to ensure the ticks are killed, and TiCK MiTT is ready to use again.
I’ve been advocating for change and pushing to raise awareness, so in addition to TiCK MiTT, my journey with Lyme has brought me to work alongside others in the community and become a board member of Project Lyme where I was honored last year for my work towards advocating for change at the annual gala. I’ve also been speaking with lawmakers about what can be done to protect the public, and was also named as a Forbes 30 Under 30 for Social Impact. I truly believe we can live in a world free of tick-borne illnesses, but it takes education and access to simple solutions. The growing problem impacts us all.