Lyme disease in the U.S. is caused by the tick-borne bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi and usually begins with a skin lesion, after which the bacteria spread throughout the body to the nervous system, heart or joints. About 60 percent of untreated individuals develop arthritis, which affects the knees in particular.
Spend five minutes with 10-year-old Henry Meeker, and it’s clear — he’s more than just an aspiring gymnast, he’s an all-around kid on the move.
And that’s exactly why — when Henry stopped short this past March — his family did, too.
“All of a sudden one day I wake up and my knee is swelling up and the next day, it’s bigger, and the next day, it’s bigger again,” Henry said from his Minneapolis home on Thursday.
Henry’s swollen knee confounded doctors, who originally considered arthritis and lupus. Eventually, they stumbled on a remote possibility.