For more info about the Celebration of Life, Hotels near the Funeral Home, Airports, or the Live Stream, please click here.

The family invites you to attend A Celebration of Life with time to share memories of Pat.

Saturday, September 7, 2024

12:00PM – 3:00PM Memorial Gathering

2:00PM Eulogies will be shared & Zoom Live stream will begin

Pat Smith Obituary

Thank you for helping us honor this amazing woman. Pat Smith's dedication and contributions to the Lyme Disease Association Inc and the community are truly inspiring. She will be dearly missed, but her legacy will continue to impact countless lives.

Comments/photos will be made into a book, to be presented to the Smith Family at the Celebration of Pat's Life on September 7th.

You can submit Public or Private comments to Pat's Family and/or the LDA here

Submit Public or Private comments here

It is with deep sadness and a profound sense of loss that we share the news of the passing of our dear friend and long-serving President of the Lyme Disease Association Inc, Patricia V. Smith. She died peacefully on August 17, 2024, under hospice care, with her family at her bedside.

Those of us fortunate to have worked closely with Pat may have started as fellow advocates, affiliates, colleagues or board members, but we quickly grew to also become her friends. We saw ourselves as her extended family and Pat always treated us as if we were. Read More.

LA4K Will Remain a National Program

In memory of the Lyme Disease Association’s (LDA) President, Patricia V. Smith, the LDA has transferred ownership of their LymeAid 4 Kids (LA4K) program to Colorado Tick-Borne Disease Awareness Association (COTBDAA) to continue the granting program to provide monies for children in need of Lyme testing and treatment across the US.

Donate in Memory of Pat Smith

Donate here

Read the International Journal of Molecular Sciences article.

Plant samples showed effectiveness in inhibiting B. burgdorferi growth

International Journal of Molecular Sciences (6.28.2024) published the article, “Plantago major and Plantago lanceolata Exhibit Antioxidant and Borrelia burgdorferi Inhibiting Activities.” The article investigates the potential of Plantago major and Plantago lanceolata extracts from plants as treatments for Lyme disease, caused by Borrelia burgdorferi.

The study is driven by the need for alternative therapies due to issues with current antibiotic treatments, such as antibiotic resistance and persistent symptoms. Read more.

Babesia odocoilei infections may be more common than currrently appreciated.

NC State University (7.16.2024) published the article, “Bartonella and Babesia Co-Infection Detected in Patients with Chronic Illness.” This article discusses a pilot study conducted at North Carolina State University that identified co-infections of Bartonella and Babesia odocoilei in patients with chronic illnesses.

The study found that six out of seven patients with chronic, non-specific illnesses were co-infected with Bartonella bacteria and Babesia odocoilei. The research was supported by NC State’s Bartonella/Vector-Borne Diseases Research Fund and the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation, and was published in the journal Parasites and Vectors. Read more.

Read the NC State University article.

Read the Cowboy State Daily article.

A new hobby to help tick surveillance?

Cowboy State Daily (7.14.2024) published the article, “A New Hobby? Wyoming Scientists Looking For People To Go Out And Collect Ticks.” The article describes an initiative in Wyoming where scientists are seeking volunteers to help collect ticks as part of a statewide research effort.

The project, led by the Teton County Weed and Pest District, and supported by the University of Wyoming’s Biodiversity Institute, aims to survey and study the tick population in Wyoming. The goals include understanding how widespread ticks are, identifying the species present, and determining which diseases they carry. Read more.

Valneva & Pfizer announce primary vaccination series completion.

Valneva (7.17.2024) published the article, “Phase 3 VALOR Lyme Disease Trial: Valneva and Pfizer Announce Primary Vaccination Series Completion.” Pfizer and Valneva announced that participants in their Phase 3 VALOR trial for the Lyme disease vaccine candidate VLA15 have completed the primary vaccination series which consists of three doses of the VLA15 vaccine. 

They will receive a booster dose approximately one year after the third dose. Precision Vaccinations (7.17.2024) discusses the potential of VLA15, a Lyme disease vaccine candidate, to become the first FDA-approved protein subunit vaccine for Lyme disease. Read more.

Read the Valneva article.

Lyme Disease Association, Inc.