It took years of testing, doctors visits, and debilitating symptoms before Chris Meloni and his family knew one of their loved ones was living with Lyme disease. The Law & Order: Organized Crime star and father of two has since been very vocal about his family’s experience with the illness, including how early signs of Lyme disease presented as something as common as a stomach bug.
Chris Meloni’s family members thought Lyme disease signs were stomach flu symptoms
In a 2024 interview with TODAY.com, Meloni opened up about how his family initially mistook Lyme disease symptoms for a common illness.
“We first thought we were dealing with the stomach flu,” Meloni said, explaining that symptoms included brain fog, fatigue, joint pain, migraines, and depression, while antibiotics only briefly helped. “Before you know it, you’re dealing with a completely debilitated human being.”
Chris Meloni attends the Global Lyme Alliance Gala.
In search of answers, Meloni told TODAY.com that his loved one saw a variety of specialists and underwent many tests before they were ultimately diagnosed with Lyme disease, a bacterial infection most commonly transmitted to humans by tick bites, the Mayo Clinic explains.
Signs and symptoms of Lyme disease typically include fever, headache, fatigue, and a skin rash, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Lyme disease is “almost always readily cured” with antibiotics early on, according to the American Lyme Disease Foundation, but, without treatment, the infection could potentially spread to the joints and nervous system.
“If Lyme disease is part of your life, your life will literally never be the same,” Meloni told TODAY.com.
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In a 2023 interview with People, Meloni shared that it took his family years to get answers. “My family was affected by this disease in a very dramatic way,” he told the magazine. “And it was a whole big learning curve because it took us two years to get the correct diagnoses. It was pretty heartbreaking.”
Once they finally figured out what they were dealing with, Meloni added that he was surprised by the lack of information and awareness there is about the disease. “It presents itself as any number of things,” Meloni told People. “In my family’s case, we thought we were dealing with a stomach flu and then later it turned into relentless migraines and then we were dealing with arthritis. It’s a laundry list of horror show potentialities, and I was surprised how little and poor the information was being given out to the public.”
Chris Meloni speaks at event for the Global Lyme Alliance
Chris Meloni is a vocal advocate for Lyme disease awareness and research
Inspired by his family’s firsthand experience, Meloni has since become a strong advocate for Lyme disease awareness and research. The actor is an ambassador for the Global Lyme Alliance, he’s appeared in PSAs, and has also lobbied Congress with fellow advocates to push for more Lyme disease funding.
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In October 2023, Meloni and his wife, Sherman Williams, attended a gala for the Global Lyme Alliance, where he took the stage to deliver an impactful speech. In an Instagram post following the event, which raised over $1.6 million, Meloni commended “all the hard work EVERYONE in this community has done, and the continued commitment everyone has dedicated themselves” to raise awareness.
