The Lyme Community loses a Hero – Leslie Wermers
By Bryan Rosner on Nov 6, 2008 in General News | comments(3)
Leslie (along with her sister Tracie) is a hero who founded the Minnesota Lyme Fighters Advocacy Group. After Leslie passed away a few days ago I feel compelled to share some information about her amazing life. The best way to learn about her tremendous impact is by looking at this page, with a few videos of Leslie.
Here are my personal thoughts on Leslie’s passing: This loss is so tragic, it has been keeping me up at night. I met Leslie just days before her death at the 2008 ILADS conference. Her spirit touched me even then.
Leslie and Tracie (Leslie’s sister) are awesome. They are the brightest and truest spirits in the Lyme community that I have ever met. When I first met Tracie and Leslie, I kept waiting for their first-impression angelic qualities to wear off into real life relationship that comes when you actually “know someone well.” But the better I got to know them, the more conversations I had, and the more their true character was revealed……the clearer it became that no – this was not just a first impression and no, this was not just a “show” – this was who they truly were, out there on the front lines, staying up late to help people, spending hours on the phone with desperate patients. Their behavior should be a model for all of us.
In my line of work I get phone calls from way too many people but whenever Leslie would call me, my face would light up and it would be as if time would stand still. I could just tell that there were no pretenses, just caring affection and the desire to help.
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless and keep you Leslie and we will never forget your kindness, passion and spirit which reached across thousands of miles as if it were next door. -Bryan Rosner
Me (Bryan, Left) with Tracie Schissel at 2008 ILADS Conf.
Me (Bryan, Right) with Leslie Wermers at 2008 ILADS Conf.
