Project Lyme mourns the passing of pediatric Lyme specialist, Dr. Charles Ray Jones. This is a profound loss for the Lyme community and for those whose lives he touched. In particular, his dedication to healing kids with Lyme and co-infections gave countless children a future.
A graduate of New York Medical College in 1962, Dr. Jones began his medical career interning in pediatrics at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Manhattan, where he served as Chief Resident. He went on to become an attending physician at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
Dr. Jones eventually moved to Connecticut to practice pediatrics in the late 1960s. After opening his practice, he began seeing clusters of patients who had been diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis but actually had Lyme disease. Following this, he expanded his practice to focus directly on helping kids impacted by tick-borne disease, treating patients for four decades.
Outside of his practice, he helped countless more in the community by training doctors and sharing his vast knowledge at conferences for both professionals and patients. Watch the below video to learn more about Dr. Jones impact.
In the Media
10/03/2024
On the evening of Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024, six Westfield residents attended the elegant Project Lyme gala and fundraiser. It was held at Gotham Hall at 1356 Broadway and 36th Street in New York City. With up to 476,000 new cases each year, Lyme disease is the fastest-growing vector-borne disease in the country, a mounting threat to public health.
In the Media
10/03/2024
Olivia Flowers is paying tribute to her late brother, Conner Flowers, in a very special way. The Southern Charm-er lost her only sibling, who suffered from Lyme disease, back in 2023 — and she just spoke about his battle at the Project Lyme 2024 Gala. Olivia; her boyfriend, Alex Williams; and her parents, Garry and Robin Flowers, all attended the gala in New York City on September 24. Olivia was a featured keynote speaker at the organization's gala.
Advocacy
07/29/2024
Yesterday, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, alongside Project Lyme, held a press conference at the Quogue Wildlife Refuge to advocate for increased federal funding for Lyme Disease research. Suffolk County had the highest number of Lyme disease cases in the country between 2019 and 2022, and New York was the number one state for reported cases of Lyme disease in 2022. These statistics emphasize the urgent need for increased funding and research to better understand, treat, and ultimately find a cure for this devastating illness.
