Deanna Warman’s birthday party fundraiser brought in over $2,000 for Lyme disease research.

In early November, the 13-year-old Freehold resident asked her 70 party guests to donate the money they would put toward a gift to the University of New Haven's Lyme Research Program.

According to Deanna's mother, Roseanne Warman, the teen came up with the idea for a fundraiser birthday party after watching her older sister, Alyssa, cope with Lyme disease.

"Deanna has felt helpless watching her sister suffer and thought the party would be a good idea to hopefully help Alyssa and others affected by this horrible disease," Roseanne Warman wrote Freehold Patch.

Deanna chose to have the party at the Freehold First Aid and Rescue Squad because Alyssa and her twin, Jenna, both volunteered as emergency medical technician cadets, Roseanne said.

The Warmans traveled to the University of New Haven, where Deanna presented the $2,000 to Eva Sapi, an associate professor of biology and environmental sciences who is researching better testing and treatment for Lyme disease.

Link: http://freehold.patch.com/articles/teen-raises-2k-for-lyme-disease-research