Worldwide Lyme Project - Australia
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    • Australian Capital Territory : 2013 Events
    • New South Wales : 2013 Events >
      • NSW Sydney >
        • Sue Sherrat: MC, The Day's Program
        • Janice Foster: Summary of Political Situation in Aust.
        • Karen Smith: Summary of Changing Patient Experience in Aust
        • Jodie Donnelly : Speech on Being a Carer for Lyme Patient
        • Kate Wood: Speech from a Practioner and Patient Perspective
      • NSW North Coast: Coffs Harbour
      • NSW South Coast: Bermagui
      • NSW South Coast Nowra
    • Queensland : 2013 Events >
      • QLD Brisbane
      • QLD South East: Eumundi
      • QLD Far North: Cairns
    • South Australia : 2013 Events >
      • Adelaide: Thebarton
      • Adelaide: Various Locations
    • Tasmania: 2013 Events >
      • Tasmania: Hobart
      • Tasmania: Wynyard
    • Victoria : 2013 Event
    • Western Australia : 2013 Event
  • Lighting up 4 Lyme
    • Australia Lighting up For Lyme 2013
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    • Beautifully Broken
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  • Awareness Video's
  • Lyme Lives Here

Worldwide Lyme Awareness Protest  - Australia 2013

Round-up of Australia's 2013 WWLAP Involvement, National Campaigns and the States and Territories Involved

Round-Up of Australia's involvement in the Inaugural Worldwide Lyme Protest
By Karen Smith (Australia's International Rep/National Co-ordinator)
The Worldwide Lyme Awareness Protest (WWLAP) began as a Worldwide Grass Roots campaign with many advocates all over the world joining together to bring as much attention to the inadequacies surrounding Lyme diagnosis and treatment as possible.  When I registered Australia's interest and signed up as Australia's International Representative in participating in the Worldwide event in November 2012 I honestly had no idea how quickly this event would grow, both nationally and internationally.  Almost immediately on starting Australia's WWLAP campaign on Facebook, Janice Foster's comments on the event and my prior knowledge of her keen interest in raising awareness about the lack of acknowledgement of the existence of Lyme in Australia saw me asking her to join me to work together on the National co-ordination of the event. Thankfully she said yes. I say thankfully, as Janice's input and help with regards to numerous aspects of Australia's participation in this worldwide campaign was nothing short of amazing.

As  the Worldwide Lyme Protest was a developing event , no-one could have possibly imagined how large it would grow in its inaugural year.  Both myself and Janice were grateful then, when we approached the Lyme Disease Association of Australia (LDAA), at the end of February 2013 and they agreed to come on board to sponsor some of the costs (Posters and brochures) incurred by the organisers of the events being held all around Australia.

Thank you to the LDAA for sponsoring the posters and brochures for all the events, and a big thanks also to Jennifer Sherer (Secretary) for organising and sending all of these out to organisers. A special thanks also to Sharon Whiteman (Newly elected as President of LDAA) who spent many a long night filling out
liability insurance for the buildings lighting up green as well as helping to organise media for the WWLP week-end. We were very appreciative of all the LDAA input. 

The success of Australia's campaign would not have been possible without the numerous Australian Lyme patients and advocates who also embraced this campaign with enthusiasm and organised events around Australia and also helped out in many various ways with this campaign which included:

* Over a dozen events held Australia wide
* Landmarks and Buildings (17) around Australia lighting up green for Lyme Awareness
* The moving National Patient awareness 'highlights' video which  received over 3,000 views, and the pictures submitted for the video, printed and submitted to the Chief Medical Officer of Australia
* Emily Madden's song "Right These Wrongs", written for the patient videos (and used in many other countries, as well as sung at numerous events around Australia) receiving recognition from the makers of the Lyme documentary, Under Our Skin
*Numerous media articles on Lyme disease
 

On behalf of Australia's Worldwide Lyme Awareness Protest 2013 team, I extend a huge thank you to all those involved behind the scenes, and to the organisers of the Australian events listed opposite. Their efforts , and personal costs, both in time and money, are greatly appreciated by all. Australia's efforts in the Worldwide campaign were phenomenal and contributed in raising a large amount of awareness about Lyme disease Australia wide. Some of this awareness was evidenced by the large influx of numbers into Australian Lyme patient support groups and patient queries to Lyme Organisations in Australia.  

In closing, I would also love to say a huge thank you to all the other countries involved in the Worldwide Lyme Awareness Protest. The number of countries involved with this event meant that there was a great deal of media interest across the world due to sheer size of this campaign. The people I got to "meet" and the passion shown by advocates all around the globe to end the ignorance surrounding Lyme and other tick-borne diseases have the strength and determination that I know will go on until the goal is achieved. 

Heartfelt Thanks, Karen Smith



WWLAP - Australia 2013 Events
National Campaigns
Patient Awareness Video's
Lighting up For Lyme
Lyme Awareness Songs

Australian Capital Territory
ACT: Canberra: Buildings Lighting up  
Co-ordinator: Al
ana Brown

New South Wales

NSW: Sydney : NSW Health, North Sydney
Co-ordinators:  Sue Sherrat, Jodie Donnelly, Janice Foster, Karen Smith

NSW: North Coast : Coffs Harbour
Co-ordinators: Natalie & Steve Young, Teri  Houbert, Sara Walker 


NSW: South Coast : Bermaqui 
Co-ordinator:  Jacqui Van Teulingen

NSW: South Coast: Nowra
Co-ordinator: Melanie Roest Lattanzio


Queensland
QLD: Brisbane : New Farm Park
Co-ordinators:  Rachael Robins, Greg Jervis, Zara Ward, Sharon Whiteman, 

QLD: South East : Eumundi
Co-ordinator: Sabine Gaber


QLD: Far North Queensland : Cairns
Co-ordinator:  Tanya Chapman  


South Australia
SA: Adelaide: Thebarton 

Co-ordinators: Amanda Bramwell, Deb Szkolik


SA: Adelaide: Various locations
Co-ordinator: Bob MacIntosh


Tasmania
TAS:   Hobart 

Co-ordinators: Geoff and Kate Doolan

TAS: Wynyard (5th May)
Co-ordinator:
Chris Wilson

Victoria
VIC: Melbourne:  Federation Square 
Co-ordinators:
Sue McFarlane, David and Kim Trathen, Keith Hooper, Beth Fleming

Western Australia
WA: Perth:  Cultural Centre 
Co-ordinators:
  Ailsa Burgess, Theresa Potgieter, Monika Smith, Leanne Downie  
 
Click Here to visit the Worldwide Lyme Awareness Project - Australia Facebook Page
NB: In 2015 the facebook page name was changed to Global Lyme Project - Australia