Lyme disease cases in Ohio have increased dramatically in the last several decades. In 2023, there were over 1300 reported cases alone–in the early 1990s there were only about two dozen. A new organization called LymeLight Alliance headed by Solon students Abby Xiong, Jasleen Mann, Claire Zhang and Charlotte Ma aims to spread awareness about Lyme Disease.
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that humans can get if bitten by an infected tick. Symptoms include rashes, headache, fever, joint pain, fatigue and more. If left untreated, there is risk of inflammation to the nervous system (meningitis), weakness and paralysis of the face muscles (Bell palsy), heart problems and even more serious symptoms.
Initiative member Claire Zhang says the main goal of this program is just to simply inform the public.
“[Our main goal] is to spread awareness to as many people as we can about Lyme Disease,” Zhang said.
Abby Xiong, another member of this initiative, said the students started this program as a part of SHS club Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA) Community Awareness event.
“Community Awareness is this event where we educate the public about a certain health issue,” Xiong said. “We chose Lyme disease because we are all pretty avid hikers so we thought it would be really fitting.”
So far, they have hosted a few events around the community to help support their initiative. Jasleen Mann, another member of this initiative, said they set up a booth at Solon’s Winter Fest in December.
“We hosted a booth at [Solon’s] Winter Fest where we had an informational table and craft table to engage with the community while raising awareness about the disease,” Mann said.
In January, they hosted a hike at Squires Castle that included a scavenger hunt around the designated hike path. The hike aimed at providing information to the public about how to prevent tick bites and address the need for increased awareness about Lyme disease in Northeast Ohio. The students aren’t going to stop there, they have many new events planned especially going into spring.
“Right now we have about two to three events in the works,” Mann said. “One is hosting an informational presentation at the Senior Center to educate the seniors on their increased risk for contracting Lyme disease.”
Children are also more susceptible to contracting this disease due to increased time spent outside. The LymeLight Alliance is planning events for Solon’s elementary schools to raise awareness. To find out more about their upcoming events, you can follow their Instagram page @lymelightalliance.
“Our region especially has a bunch of different metro parks and hiking spots,” Xiong said. “It’s important for the general public to know there are risks to going outdoors. Overall, we just really want to make sure our community has good habits throughout all seasons of the year to prevent tick bites and ultimately prevent Lyme disease. We also want to create a more educated community.”
