Lyme Connection will present three important Lyme Disease events in the area in May. First, Lyme Connection and the Ridgefield Library will present an author talk on May 2 at 7pm with Lori Dennis to discuss her recently released memoir, Lyme Madness: Rescuing My Son down the Rabbit Hole of Chronic Lyme Disease. The program is co-sponsored by Lyme Connection and the library, and is part of the Noreen L. Papa - Mothers: Live Your Life series.

Lyme Madness chronicles the medical odyssey of both the author and her adult son while capturing the current landscape of immeasurable suffering, politics and medical madness that ensues around this disease worldwide. The book provides a platform for the many voices of chronic Lyme sufferers, caregivers and activists, along with the few doctors and politicians fighting for awareness, support and justice. Lori Dennis, MA, is a registered psychotherapist in private practice with a focus on depression, anxiety, grief, ADHD, interpersonal conflict and more.

Tick-borne disease prevention expert Dr. Neeta Connally and Master Gardener Tessa O’Regan are teaming up to teach effective strategies for staying safe from ticks while still enjoying the outdoors. This program will be held at the Ridgefield Library on May 6 at 10am.

Weekend gardeners, avid hikers, pet owners or parents will all benefit from hearing the latest research on Lyme disease prevention, along with landscaping tips for reducing ticks in yards.

Connally is an associate professor of biology and oversees the Tickborne Disease Prevention Laboratory at Western Connecticut State University. O’Regan, a certified landscape designer, lighting designer and master gardener, has been gardening professionally in Fairfield County for the past 15 years. This program is sponsored by the BLAST Program, Lyme Connection, Rotary Club of Ridgefield, Western Connecticut Health Network and the Ridgefield Library.

Lastly, on May 18, Beyond Lyme: Redefining the Future of Tick-borne Diseases is the theme for the 11^th Annual Lyme Connection patient conference and health fair at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury. The evening begins at 5pm with a Lyme disease-focused health fair, followed by speaker presentations and a question-and-answer period.

Free and open to the public, the conference will be held in the Westside Campus Student Center ballroom; no pre-registration is required. Event sponsors include Roseann Capanna Hodge & Associates, IGeneX, Inc., NutraMedix and Select TCS Tick Control System.

To register for Ridgefield Library events, visit Ridgefieldlibrary.org. Read more about programs at LymeConnection.org. Location: Ridgefield Library, 472 Main St, Ridgefield. Lyme Conference location: WCSU Student Center, 43 Lake Ave Extension, Danbury. See ad, page 32.