Two years after its dissolution, the Dr. E. Murakami Centre for Lyme Research, Education & Assistance Society (Hope Lyme Association) has put it’s remaining $60,000 towards the Ernest K. Murakami Scholarship in Medicine.
For the past decade, the Hope Lyme Association — a not-for-profit corporation — has been providing “unbiased, double blind, peer reviewed facts on Lyme and Co-Infections” to everyone who needs to know more about Lyme disease. And for the past decade people — both from and outside Hope — have been supporting their fight against Lyme disease through donations.
With the Association dissolving on Oct. 15, 2020, Dr. Ernie Murakami wants to let the public know that the remaining money has been donated to the Ernest K. Murakami Scholarship in Medicine — a scholarship for University of British Columbia (UBC) students in the M.D. Program participating in an Infectious Disease elective.
“I just want to thank the community for supporting us for the scholarships and for the donations that we made for the research that went to New Haven University,” Murakami said. “I’ve been donating for a long time. Ever since I was in medical school and graduated, I’ve been lecturing and donating money. We had $60,000 leftover from our savings last year. And I sent it to our Dr. Murakami scholarship for medical students.
“[When I first] started this scholarship, I started out with just enough for one student, but now it’s [enough] for four students [every year].”
Formed in 2009, Murakami created the Dr. E. Murakami Centre for Lyme Research, Education & Assistance Society, also known as the Hope Lyme Association, in order to continue research for Lyme disease. The knowledge gathered went towards education, helping medical students, and furthering people’s understanding of the disease.
Lyme disease, which is caused by a bite from an infected tick, is a bacterial infection. Without antibiotic treatment, the infection can cause serious and chronic illness.
Donations sent to the Hope Lyme Association went towards Lyme disease research and scholarships associated with infectious and bacterial diseases. A lot of this research was done at New Haven University — including the ongoing, and longstanding, study on cannabidiol paste as a cure for Lyme disease. A study, according to Murakami, that has shown, and continues to show, promising and successful results.
Murakami has a complicated history in the medical community concerning Lyme disease. For many decades, he was a general physician in Hope who treated patients as well as lecturing at UBC. Holding a degree in immunology and bacteriology, Murakami became interested in studying Lyme disease after noticing similarities between it and syphilis.
After studying the disease, he began treating Lyme disease by using an intensive form of antibiotic treatment that would last longer than the usual 30-day dose used by most practitioners. Though he reported successful cases, the College of Physicians felt his treatment methods were too extreme. His methods were brought under intense review which eventually prompted Murakami to retire, in 2008, when the pressure brought on by the College’s scrutiny began affecting his health.
Nowadays, Murakami spends his days continuing to research Lyme disease as well as providing lectures/presentations at various events and conferences (which are available to view on Youtube). And, while Murakami no longer practices medicine as a doctor, he still provides free advice, consultations, and knowledge for medical professionals seeking to know more about Lyme disease.
READ MORE: Online map tracks B.C.’s high-risk Lyme disease zones
@KemoneMoodley
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