Fighting to Stop Lyme Disease - Feb. 12, 2020

CHRIS PHILBROOK: I was out hiking in 2007 in the woods and got bit by a deer tick. I woke up and was incapacitated, and I didn’t know what was going on. The left side of my face froze, so I had Bell’s palsy. When your face freezes and you look in the mirror every single day and you can’t smile – you don’t realize what an impact not smiling has on you mental health.

NARRATOR: Chris was diagnosed with Lyme disease.

CHRIS PHILBROOK: Maine has the highest rate of Lyme disease cases in the country. I was working for Senator Collins at the time. The Senator reached out to me to make sure I was feeling better. She would send me almost daily hand-written notes. She would call and it just gave me hope that I was going to get better and it was okay.

NARRATOR: Susan Collins wrote the bipartisan TICK Act to improve diagnosis and treatment of Lyme disease. And Susan’s bill is now law.

CHRIS PHILBROOK: I’m so grateful that Senator Collins took this issue on, and I think it’s going to give a lot of people hope that they can and will get better. Whether there’s a Democrat or Republican in the White House, she gets things done.

COLLINS: I’m Susan Collins and I’ve approved this message.