Dear friends:

We are requesting that you help defend Lyme activist Kathleen Dickson,
victimized for defending the rights of Lyme patients to proper care,
support and the
dissemination of the truth about their disease. Her story is in the
model
protest letter below, to be sent out to the addresses listed at the end
of this
message, or you can write your own letter in her support.

----------
Kathleen Dickson is a Connecticut mother with Lyme disease and
high-functioning autism. She is also a scientist who has worked for
years as an advocate for
the Lyme patient community.

Some years ago Kathleen became too disabled by Lyme disease to care
for her
children on her own. They too were (congenitally) infected with the Lyme bacteria, and she fought in vain to obtain the special 504 education plan her daughter needed. When she could no longer cope, she asked the state agencies for help. She received none. She
came
into conflict with the Dept. of Children and Families (DCF) for
publicly
criticizing them over this.

This was not the only issue Kathleen was speaking out about publicly. A
former Pfizer analytical chemist, Kathleen's knowledge about Lyme
Disease testing
procedures, as well as her outrage at injustice, led her to become
prominent in
exposing the corruption at the heart of the controversy over treating
this
disease, now acknowledged to be overtaking AIDS as the fastest-growing
infectious disease.

Kathleen's testimony and activism helped to force the removal of
Glaxo's
dangerous LymeRix vaccine from the market, and forced Rhode Island
legislators to
take the issue of Lyme bio-markers seriously. She publicly named
several
doctors, scientists and government officials whom she believed were
guilty of
corrupting Lyme science for financial motives. She published evidence
of links they had (especially those based at Yale) with the insurance industry and multinational biotech companies.
For this she became the target of a campaign of intense harassment. Anonymous
individuals lambasted and threatened her on the Internet. One man even
called her
regularly at her home, pretending to be seeking her advice.

Undeterred by the harassment, Kathleen continued her advocacy for Lyme
patients. Shortly afterwards she was accused by the local DCF of
improper parenting
of her children. Kathleen, who was felt by all who knew her to be an
extremely
devoted mother, and who had engaged in Lyme activism largely in order
to help
her children, was shocked. No evidence of any harm to the children was
provided. Nevertheless the case against her escalated and she was
threatened with
removal of her children. This deeply traumatized the children, who
began having
nightmares that they would be taken away from their mother.

In late autumn 2003 their nightmare came true. Kathleen had filed a
complaint
with the US Dept. of Justice, alleging that fraudulent scientific
practice
had led to thousands of patients being denied diagnosis and/or
treatment for
Lyme disease. One of the individuals named in that complaint, who had
harassed
Kathleen online for years, suddenly announced on the Internet that she
was
capable of drowning her children. A few days later, Kathleen was told
at a DCF
hearing that she had been heard to say that she would do this, which
was not true.
Her children were taken from school while she was in court and were
put into
foster care. Kathleen was stunned.

By now, with her children gone, suffering the effects of worsening
neurological Lyme as well as autism and with no help in sight, Kathleen
became
distraught. She mailed out hundreds of letters protesting at her fate
and naming those
officials she felt responsible. A short time later she was told by her
lawyer
that the authorities would be seeking her commitment to a psychiatric
institution.

While this did not happen, she was arrested a few weeks later, and
charged
with harassment of Jessica Gauvin, a senior official in the Connecticut
Attorney
General's office.

In April 2004 Kathleen Dickson was sent to the York women's prison in
Connecticut, where a huge bail was put on her which she could not
raise.

At the time of this writing Kathleen Dickson has been transferred to a
prison
psychiatric wing at Connecticut Valley Hospital. At five foot eight, she
now
weighs only 108 pounds due to the poor diet she received in York prison. The
psychiatrists in
charge of her care are denying that she has Lyme disease and refusing
her any
treatment, despite the fact that she has positive test results and has
been
treated for it for years by one of the country's top specialists. She
has been
told she is to undergo an evaluation, and has been labeled psychotic.

A number of people have spoken to her on the phone at the hospital and
report
that she is lucid and did not demonstrate any signs of psychosis.
However, at
the end of the 60-day evaluation period, she fears the staff will label
her
mentally ill and she will then be incarcerated indefinitely.

Lyme is an extremely debilitating disease whose huge range of symptoms
can
often lead to misdiagnosis. The spectrum can sometimes include
neuropsychiatric
symptoms such as hallucinations, ``brain fog'' etc. Lyme-knowledgeable psychiatrists have written extensively on this. If Kathleen is
indeed
suffering from any such symptoms, she has the right to receive
appropriate
antibiotic treatment,
rather than psychiatric drugs which could
potentially be
harmful for her. She should not be punished and have her liberty taken
from her.

It is clear that those Kathleen named for their role in scientific
fraud
would benefit greatly if her accusations against them were forgotten,
and if she
was dismissed as mentally ill. It is not only Kathleen Dickson who has
suffered
because of her stand against them. Virtually all those who have had the
courage to speak out were rewarded with serious threats and repression.
Doctors
(such as Joseph Burrascano) , and lab scientists who acknowledge the problem
of
chronic Lyme disease or the need for long term antibiotic treatment have
come under
tremendous pressure to shut down operations. Some have buckled under
this
pressure; some have been forced to help patients in secret; some have
had their
licenses removed and two doctors have committed suicide.

In those areas where Lyme is not officially acknowledged to be endemic
(much
of the US as well as western Europe) unreliable blood testing
procedures
maintain artificially low statistics. Despite a congressional ruling
in 2001,
doctors, encouraged by insurance companies and government officials
responsible
for financing health care, continue to inform their patients that Lyme
cannot be
diagnosed in the absence of a positive blood test. Patients who
challenge
this ``norm'' are accused of hypochondria, and parents who claim their
children may
have Lyme disease and need antibiotic treatment may have their children
removed under allegations of Munchausen's-by-proxy.

Kathleen Dickson accused the Governor of Connecticut, and top officers
of the
CDC and NIH of complicity in the Lyme cover-up. According to Kathleen,
corrupt scientists suppressed their own findings that could have
provided more
reliable diagnostic tests. Her accusations regarding their approach to
Lyme
disease were potentially politically damaging.

We request an end to the persecution of Kathleen Dickson, who is being
held
against her will and accused of being psychotic, and of all Lyme
healthcare
professionals, and patients' activists who have been targeted because
of their agreement with what is after all, published peer-reviewed evidence that chronic Lyme exists as a continuing infection. Some researchers who today ignore or deny this science, published this material themselves in the past (eg in the Infectious Diseases Review 1989). Kathleen should receive proper medical
care for
neurological Lyme disease, which is an organic brain illness, rather
than be
labeled mentally ill and have her freedom taken away from her.

Name....................

Organization (if any)......................................................................

City/State.......................................................................................................

Country.........................................................................................

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NOW SEND TO AS MANY AS POSSIBLE OF THE FOLLOWING EMAIL ADDRESSES/FAX numbers:

Hartford Courant
[email protected]
Fax 860-520-6941

Richard Blumenthal , Attorney General, State of Connecticut
Fax: 860-808-5387

I've never heard of her, and I"ve been very active on the all of hte RI legislation etc..

I'll certainly send this on along with my blessings...

quote:

---

Originally posted by Caryn:
wanted to bring this to the top. does anyone else have any info on what is going on with Kathleen? why are the ILADs drs not supporting her?

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quote:

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I'll certainly send this on along with my blessings...

lisa[/B]

---

Thanks for your support.
The update is that Kathleen is now being forced to take psychiatric drugs against her will, despite the intervention and protests of LLMDs. Prior to this several people including a top journalist spoke to her on the phone and found her very lucid. Now that she is receiving the medication, she complains of feeling spaced out and difficulty thinking.

Hard to know whether to be madder at docs who undertreat than docs (the majority) who don't treat at all. And, of course, there are plenty of people who do get treatment but fail to be cured. I am one of them. My feeling is that it keeps me alive and semi-functional, which is better than dead or in a nursing home.

After considering comments and opinions of board members' posts and a phone contact with one board member, I've decided that I'll post a revision of my summary after some members have first reviewed it. This will take approx. 2 weeks.

Thanks,

dq

[This message has been edited by DiffyQue (edited 11 October 2004).]

[This message has been edited by DiffyQue (edited 11 October 2004).]

[This message has been edited by DiffyQue (edited 13 October 2004).]

This is an incredible summation.

Mo

It certainly raises the paranoia that the government is hiding something.

Like the syphilis experiments on black men. Gave them no treatment to observe the course of the disease, as if millions of people had not already gone before and established the stages of the disease beyond a doubt. No need for more "evidence."

Reminds of the creatures in wizard of oz, one lacking a heart, another a brain, etc. The people is our medical establishment sometimes seem to be lacking everything but ego and the desire to do things. Not a good combination for people with the power of the government behind them. Not saying all are like this, just too many.

Anyone who knows of her situation and does nothing to help her is a sick,stupid,evil person.

In my opinion, you will do more harm than good by sending such a sensationalist letter.

I think we would best serve Kathleen by making known the facts of her situation, and by making it obvious to any reasonable person that an injustice has been done, NOT by comparing her situation to pithing frogs and Nazi Germany.

I am frustrated by what our legislators have done also, in Kathleen's case and in many others throughout the country.

I have shared some of the problems that she faces -- court appearances, custody disputes, abusive spouse, fights with institutions over Lyme disease -- although my situation was different. However, I can tell you from my experiences, and my speaking with women who have gone through similar problems, that the best defense is a clear presentation of the truth.

Can we email State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal and ask him to investigate this case? He has long been an advocate for Lyme sufferers, showing up for some of our seminars and addressing the assembly, advocating for mandatory Lyme reporting from laboratories, and helping to organize the Lyme symposium this past year in Hartford.

My understanding is that Kathleen has a court-appointed attorney. He may be able to advise as to how best to get Blumenthal's office involved.

Kathleen is both a person with Asberger's syndrome (autism) and Lyme disease. The Asberger's makes it just about impossible for her to understand the subtleties of language, such as sarcasm or polite euphemisms. She probably cannot read body language or facial expression. But she has a keenly analytical mind. Without the natural stops to expressing the facts as she sees them (and combined with Lyme rage) is it any wonder that she is misunderstood?

Her actions must be interpreted in the light of these facts. And I think Blumenthal's office should get involved to allow her to be treated for Lyme disease while she gets ready for trial.

May I suggest that someone who lives in Connecticut or who actually knows Kathleen and the circumstances surrounding her situation try to contact such an agency in Connecticut and find out if they can get anyone to help through legal channels.

I have done a search on Google and found these two agencies who may be able to help and/or refer you to someone who may be able to help.

Office of Protection and Advocacy for Persons with Disabilities: http://www.ct.gov/opapd/site/default.asp

Connecticut Judicial Branch Office of Victim Services: http://www.jud.state.ct.us/faq/VSA.pdf

It might be worth a try.

Letters should not be inflammatory.

Rita,

My post was an incomplete summary of K.'s situation and of the motives, both for her treatment and lack thereof by analogy with degradation of brain structures and nazi Germany, but not in an inflammatory sense.
While someone would naturally be upset by my descriptive account of events, the passages were not intended to be inflammatory.

dq

quote:

---

Originally posted by trecetetodromonmetabia:
What am I supposed to write in the e-mail/fax?

---

There is a model letter up on a new website set up for Kathleen. Please go to
http://www.lyme-rage.info/kd/index.html

You can simply add your name to that, or click on the buttons and email your own letter. The prepared letter recounts her story, so you can use it to help you decide what you want to say, but essentially we are saying that Kathleen should be treated as a person with human rights, and as a sufferer from an organic neurological disease -Lyme borreliosis. We also are raising the question of whether or not enemies Kathleen made through her outspoken attacks on the "overdiagnosed, overtreated" camp had anything to do with the draconian treatment she has received at the hands of authorities, especially as at least one member of that camp appeared to know in advance confidential matters relating to her trial.

Thanks to everyone for your support and suggestions so far. As far as Richard Blumenthal is concerned, he is one of the contacts on the website to whom we are asking people to email or fax letters of protest. Thank you also to the person who gave legal contacts.
Please everyone, pass the web address on, or link to it from your own. Kathleen has only a short time left before the authorities are to make their decision about her fate, so we need as much public pressure as possible in her support. Here's the address again:
http://www.lyme-rage.info/kd/index.html
Lisa

The comments by Shazdancer and Lucille seem to be a rational, common sense approach to getting her support.

Thankfully she is under legal counsel and we need to pray he or she will come to her aide in the best possible way.

This is a very complicated situation with her many Lyme & autism induced symptoms.

But without question, she should get support from her past Lyme Dr. that was treating her with antibiotics.

Does she have a husband or any family with her?