Mission: To Raise Awareness about Lyme Disease and other Tick-Borne Diseases in Minnesota
What Does That Really Mean?
It means that we will be Making Noise, Raising Awareness, and Raising Funds through events, media, social media, and other avenues until every person in the state of Minnesota knows all of the important facts about ticks and tick-borne diseases. It is imperative that Minnesotans take steps to prevent contracting Lyme disease and will recognize the symptoms if they do contract it.
Our Founder:
In June, 2015 Lyme Awareness Founder Holly Zelinsky started noticing her first symptoms. Pain in the bones and joints in her hands. On July 31, 2015 it hit her entire body. Every bone in her body hurt to the slightest touch. She was unable to work, drive a car, stand in the shower, or cut her own food. Added symptoms throughout her body included muscle spasms, skin conditions, inability to retain nutrients, burst blood vessels, loss of balance, memory loss, and many others too numerous to list. A very long story made as short as possible, after 13 months and 17 doctors (Mayo Clinic, U of MN, etc.) she was finally diagnosed with and began treatment for Lyme Disease, Bartonella, and Babesia in August, 2016.
Holly is NOT an avid outdoors woman. In fact she is quite the opposite. She does not go on long walks in the woods. The majority of her time outdoors consists of walking to the mailbox across her short Twin Cities suburb yard and sitting on her deck. She is not at a cabin every weekend from May to October. On the rare occasion she does visit a friend’s cabin, you can find her on a boat, inside the cabin, or on a deck or dock (not in the grass). Yet, she contracted this awful disease - proving the very true fact that - if she can get tick borne diseases – it can happen to anyone.
Holly is a wife, mom of four beautiful grown "kids", a grandma, and a busy business owner. The business she started in 2002 is in the event management industry and is primarily a speaker agency. She is certain that part of the reason this happened to her is because her business experience combined with her lifelong unrelenting sense of "if you have an idea, you should DO IT", Holly has the ability and passion to MAKE NOISE to raise much needed Awareness and Funds to fight Lyme Disease.
Our Board:
Holly Zelinsky
Diana Smith
Karen Sprattler
Aimee Goodwin
Lindsay Hayek
Amber Kirkeby
Sarah Kragness
How Can You Help?
Make Noise
“Like” and “Follow” us on all Social Media. Comment, Share, Forward and Retweet our information so that all of your contacts get the valuable information they need in order to prevent tick borne diseases and will recognize the many various symptoms they may have if they are effected - so they can get treated as soon as possible.
Participate in our Events
Attend - and if you can’t attend physically, participate virtually. Visit this site frequently to learn about upcoming events so you can Save The Dates in your busy calendar!
Raise Funds
Lyme Awareness MN is a 501c3, and all donations to us are tax deductible. At this time all funds raised will go toward our mission of putting two tick safety children’s books into every elementary school library in the state of Minnesota. Educating the children of Minnesota to be safe from ticks will have an impact on Lyme disease in MN for years, even decades, to come! Please join us in raising funds so that we can complete this important project!
