SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. -
Those affected by Lyme Disease are sharing their stories in hopes of securing treatment reform.
This support group meets at Faith United Methodist Church in South Burlington. Leaders say the prevalence of Lyme disease has gone up significantly in the last five years or so. However, they say much of the medical community will not recognize lasting, long-term effects of the disease.
Group founder Susan Chinnock says her daughter suffered for years. She wants to see the state legislature enact laws allowing physicians to provide long-term anti-biotic therapy.
"It was a long hard struggle to get her well, when we moved to Vermont we had to travel six hours each way to see a doctor because there was no one available in Vermont to treat her and I don't want people to go through what we went through." said Chinnock.
The Center for Disease Control contends Lyme Disease naturally runs its course after a few weeks. All other New England states have passed laws permitting doctors to take treatment beyond that time period.
