Join us as we welcome Olivia Goodreau presenting “From Illness to Activism” – a talk that is filled with new perspectives, hope and inspiration! Olivia will share some of her lyme journey and highlight how it led her passionate pursuit to help other individuals and families impacted by Lyme disease and tick-borne illness.

Olivia is the founder of LivLyme Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides financial assistance to children and their families struggling with Lyme and other tick-borne diseases while also supporting the work of researchers and scientists who are dedicated to finding effective treatments and cures for tick-borne diseases. Olivia is also the inventor of the free global TickTracker App, the Tickmojis App, and recently launched her latest free app, LongHaulTracker. Olivia founded the LivLyme Foundation in 2017 when she was 12 years old to raise money for children who cannot afford their Lyme treatments, to fund research to find a cure for Lyme and other tick-borne diseases and to educate the world about ticks. Olivia has given over 100 financial grants to children ranging in age from 2-21 to help with their Lyme and tick-borne disease treatments. She has received nearly 1000 applications from 49 states. Olivia has given multiple scientific grants to Stanford University, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and the University of New Haven.

Olivia’s memoir “But She Looks Fine – From Illness to Advocacy” launches May 9, 2023. So many people are faced with life-changing hardships— from illness and disease to loss and calamity. What Olivia discovers through her journey with chronic Lyme, and what she has been sharing with the world, is that inside of every predicament is also a possibility. This is the story of how Olivia turned the physical challenges and emotional hardships she had faced since she was a little girl into an engaged life of advocacy for others. Please join us on April 19th for this informative and uplifting presentation!

Join us as we welcome back Pegah Touradji, PhD presenting Chronic Illness, Illness Identity and Resilience. This talk will discuss ways in which chronic illness can bring on an illness identity. Pegah will describe strategies for positive meaning-making to better cope with chronic illness, including acceptance-commitment therapy (ACT). The presentation will incorporate a group discussion about our resilience, particularly as survivors of chronic illnesses.

Pegah Touradji, PhD earned her doctorate from Columbia University. She completed post-doctoral fellowships in neuropsychology and rehabilitation psychology. She is an assistant professor in the Division of Rehabilitation Psychology and Neuropsychology within the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Johns Hopkins University. Her current research examines cognitive functioning in those with post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome (PTLDS). Clinically, she provides neuropsychological assessments to individuals with acquired or traumatic brain injury as well as those with neurological illnesses. She further provides psychological interventions to help with improved management of cognitive dysfunction through addressing related issues with sleep, fatigue, pain, and mood.