Delaney's Tool to Fight Lyme Disease

My story started two years ago after I spent the day playing outside with my friend.  Normally I would ask my parents to check me for ticks before bed, but they were busy and to be honest I felt like I could handle it myself - and so I did my best.  The next morning while I was getting ready for school I looked in the mirror and saw a little black spot under my arm.  It turned out to be a deer tick. Over the next few weeks I experienced a lot of symptoms including high fevers, rashes, and soreness all the way down to my bones.

I was diagnosed with Lyme disease and put on a medication called Doxycycline.  I had really rough side effects like Iosing all my finger and toenails, temporary dairy and gluten allergies, and a lot of other issues. I am healthy again now, but it was through that experience that I decided that I was going to create something that would help people find ticks on themselves. 

I have designed a  device that you can use to check your body if no one is around, or if you aren’t really comfortable having someone help you, so you don’t go through the same terrible time I did.   The Tick Stik is an extendable, flexible wand with an HD camera on the end that casts an image via Bluetooth or wired connection if you are in a remote area that is displayed on your phone screen.  It also has attachable tools for removing ticks from your body if you find them.  It is designed to be used by hikers, hunters, fishermen, athletes, outdoor workers, and hobbyists who need to protect themselves from ticks.