Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

As many of you know, I went down with ME during the summer of 2006. Like so many others, much of my former social life & ability to work was/has been put on hold due to a variety of different symptoms, of which “just” being tired is one of many, and the most widely & unhelpfully stereotyped by the media. Full symptoms include:

http://www.hfme.org/mesymptoms.htm

I consider myself fortunate in that I've been blessed with understanding parents & family, and a great circle of friends. Many are not so lucky and lose family & friends through absolutely no fault of their own. In addition to suffering from this illness, many are made to feel like 'benefit scrounging' crooks, despite the fact that many were working for years before becoming ill. Others are often sent down the wrong diagnosis path by unsympathetic or ME-ignorant GPs, instead getting labelled as depressed, when depression is but a natural reaction to the symptoms & circumstances. Many are told to, ‘pull yourselves together’, 'get some exercise’ or just 'learn to be more positive', as if one could magically will themselves back to full health again. Many of a younger age are not able to do the things many take for granted like attend school, college or university. Or have a social life. Or a career. Or a romantic relationship. Some cannot leave their beds or even wash or clean their teeth without help. Worse of all, there are thousands who are not getting the help, understanding & empathy which should be the right of every human being on the planet in a civilised society.

The very simple fact is: Nobody wants to be ill…..

The number of those going down with ME is on the rise. People are dying from it.

Things can only change & begin to move forwards if more people are aware of this debilitating condition, aware of how serious it is, and more funding is provided for research into the varying causes, and potential cures.

Monday 11th May to Sunday 17th May is ME Awareness Week. Along with many other volunteers, sufferers and friends/family members up and down the country, I'll be doing a walk sometime during this period (I’ll update this page accordingly).

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now - pretty please ;)

Thank you for taking the time to read this, it's appreciated!

John May