Under Our Skin

About the Project

IIn the early 1970's, a mysterious ailment was discovered among children living around the town of Lyme, CT. What was first diagnosed as isolated cases of juvenile arthritis, eventually became known as Lyme disease, an illness triggered by spiral-shaped bacteria, similar to the microorganisms that cause syphilis. Today, many of those untreated will suffer chronic debilitating illness. Some unknowingly will pass the disease on to their unborn children. Many will lose their livelihoods, and still others, their lives.

Yet Lyme disease is one of the most misunderstood and controversial illnesses of our time. Difficult to test accurately, tens of thousands of people go undiagnosed--or misdiagnosed with such conditions as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, autism, MS and ALS. The Centers for Disease Control admits that more than 300,000 people may acquire Lyme disease each year, a number greater than AIDS, West Nile virus, and swine and avian flu combined. And yet, the medical establishment--with profound influence from the insurance industry--has stated that the disease is easily detectable and treatable, and that "chronic Lyme" is some other unrecognized syndrome or a completely psychosomatic disorder.
Under Our Skin is a powerful and often terrifying look not only at the science and politics of the disease, but also the personal stories of those whose lives have been affected and nearly destroyed. From a few brave doctors who risk their medical licenses, to patients who once led active lives but now can barely walk, the film uncovers a hidden world that will astound viewers. While exposing a broken health care and medical research system, the film also gives voice to those who believe that instead of a crisis, Lyme is simply a "disease du jour," over diagnosed and contributing to another crisis: the looming resistance of microbes and ineffectuality of antibiotics.

The outreach team for Under Our Skin developed and implemented a comprehensive screening and outreach and audience engagement plan where the film was presented across the country in venues that drew a broad audience interested in issues of health care, chronic illness and specifically Lyme disease. In addition, they created a study guide and an interactive website that provided concrete information about Lyme disease, health care coverage and treatment of the disease. They also developed workshops that were held in tandem with the screenings.

The Fledgling Fund Impact

Under Our Skin is an important project for The Fledgling Fund because we believe that it is so misunderstood and under-represented in main-stream media. Lyme disease shouldn't cause the devastation that it does. We believe that Under Our Skin begins to chip away at its power and grip on affected areas by shedding light on the disease itself and the industry around it.