Teenage Lyme Disease Patient and TickTracker App Inventor Honored by U.S. Government for Groundbreaking Lyme Disease Advocacy

Denver, Colo., Feb. 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- 14-year-old Lyme disease patient, advocate and technology pioneer Olivia Goodreau will be in Washington D.C. February 27 - March 1 to be honored for her groundbreaking TickTracker App, which works to gather data and alert the world to tick sightings in an effort to decrease the number of Lyme and tick-borne disease cases. Selected for The Opportunity Project’s 14-week TOP Health Sprint (TOP), Olivia became the youngest inventor ever to participate in the program which is conducted by the Department of Commerce.

Olivia will travel to Washington D.C. to participate in the Census Bureau’s TOP Demo Day, Friday, March 1. The event will showcase 20+ new innovative tech tools to more than 15 governmental agencies searching for effective ways to solve some of the world’s most critical challenges. Olivia’s TickTracker App was also selected by the Department of Health and Human Services as one of the most impactful technological creations coming out of the TOP Health Sprint. This recognition has garnered Olivia an invitation to present at the TOP Health Showcase at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House grounds Thursday, February 28 at the request of the Presidential Innovation Fellows and Department of Health and Human Services. Olivia will also meet with a growing list of Congressional members and top scientists on Wednesday, February 27 as a part of her three-day visit.

Olivia’s schedule for this unique media opportunity includes:

• February 27
  • Congressional Visits to Multiple Members of the U.S. Congress
  • 2:30 – 4:30 p.m. (Press Invited and Credentials Needed)

• February 28       
  • White House Grounds Presentation (Not a Press Event)
  • 9:00 a.m. Artificial Intelligence and Open Data Innovation for Health
  • 3:00 p.m. Lafayette Building – VA - TOP Health: Together, Futurecasting Next Steps
  • (Press Invited and Credentials Need)

• March 1     
  • U.S. Census Bureau
  • Noon–3:3:30 pm The Opportunity Project (TOP) Demo Day at Suitland, Maryland
  • 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. Office Location - (Press Invited and Credentials Needed)

Olivia’s Story
Stricken with Lyme disease after a tick bite while on a family vacation to Missouri in the second grade, doctors struggled to find out what was wrong with Olivia since she did not present the common bulls-eye rash. After being seen by 51 different physicians, she was finally diagnosed with Lyme disease. Currently, she takes over 80 medications daily and several IVIG treatments monthly causing her to not only miss out on school, but a normal life of a 14-year-old girl. This experience prompted her to start the LivLyme Foundation where she devotes countless hours to the cause through supporting research, organizing fundraising events, and developing a life-saving app called TickTracker. Olivia has been honored by prominent research universities for her work, presented before federal officials and agencies, helped pass critical state legislation, raised more than $1 million to fund Lyme disease research, and continues to offer grants to treat under-insured children and young adults affected by Lyme.

Olivia’s Technological Solution -TickTracker App

Why Olivia’s Important Work Matters

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Jeff Howard
Gomez Howard Group
303-513-1628
jeff@gomezhowardgroup.com