Charise Ott

Lyme Disease Advocate

Charise Ott is a Los Angeles area resident and Rossmoor Elementary School Instructional Aide, who loves backpacking and spending time outdoors, and giving back to the community as a Lyme disease advocate.

Diagnosed with Lyme disease months after her son was born, Charise suffered for years with back and joint pain, brain fog, fatigue, and several heart attacks before she found a medical professional that understood her symptoms and diagnosed her condition accurately.

Having a child with Lyme disease and having Lyme disease herself, Charise has made it her mission to share their story to help raise awareness of the disease, and educate about symptoms, prevention, and the need to support research to help find a cure. She supports the efforts of and encourages people with Lyme disease to donate bio samples to Bay Area Lyme Foundation’s national Lyme Disease Biobank, which provides critical tools needed by researchers aiming to improve our understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of tick-borne diseases.