Bay Area Lyme Leading the Way Series
Guest blog by Lyme Advocate, Meghan Bradshaw, Government Relations Manager, Center for Lyme Action
“Bay Area Lyme Foundation’s leadership, fundraising, and commitment to research and patient advocacy have been a bedrock.”
– Meghan Bradshaw
When I look back over the past few years, I’m struck by how much has changed—for me personally, and for the broader Lyme and tick-borne disease community. And perhaps most of all, I see how partnership and persistence have turned what once felt impossible into genuine progress.
Turning Pain into Purpose as a Living Donor
One of the most powerful examples of Bay Area Lyme’s impact is Lyme Disease Biobank—a groundbreaking resource that provides researchers with high-quality, well-characterized samples to accelerate discoveries in diagnostics and treatment.
I know firsthand what it means to contribute to that effort—with my own body. As a living donor, I’ve donated multiple joints to the Biobank following joint replacement surgeries. It was, without exaggeration, a painful process. But I did it because I believe in turning my suffering into solutions—knowing that those tissues may one day help someone else get diagnosed sooner or treated more effectively.