<p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.</p> <p>I am trekking to the summit of Kilimanjaro (altitude of 5,895m/19,340ft) in Africa for&nbsp;Action for M.E.</p> <p>Kilimanjaro will be quite a feat but I am determined to do it for the 250,000 people in the UK who&nbsp;are currently suffering with M.E.</p> <p>Having a family member with M.E., I know how the illness can dramatically affect peoples lives and I realise&nbsp;how important it is to raise awareness of M.E. &nbsp;That's why I&nbsp;have decided to raise money for Action&nbsp;for M.E. by climbing Kilimanjaro.</p> <p>M.E. is a fluctuating long-term illness that can affect anyone. &nbsp;It is also diagnosed as chronic&nbsp;fatigue syndrome (CFS) or post-viral fatigue syndrome (PVFS). &nbsp;The illness affects many parts of the&nbsp;body, such as the nervous and immune systems. The most common symptoms are severe fatigue or&nbsp;exhaustion, problems with memory and concentration, sleep disturbance, increased sensitivity to light&nbsp;and sound and muscle pain.</p> <p>The cause or causes of M.E. are not fully understood. It often develops after a virus, like flu or&nbsp;glandular fever, but it can also happen gradually for no obvious reason. People with M.E. have been&nbsp;found to have abnormalities in the nervous system, including part of the brain called the&nbsp;hypothalamus. The hypothalamus regulates sleep, temperature control and appetite. Abnormalities have&nbsp;also been found in the immune system. More research is needed before these abnormalities and their&nbsp;impact are properly understood.</p> <p>I am aiming to reach a fundraising target of &pound;2,300 so any amount of money, large or small, would be&nbsp;greatly appreciated.</p> <p>So please dig deep and donate now. &nbsp;Thank you in advance for your donation for which I am truly&nbsp;grateful, and thanks for taking the time to read this.</p> <p>Best wishes,</p> <p>Bill</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>------------------------------------------</p> <p>Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving &ndash; they&rsquo;ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they&rsquo;ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it&rsquo;s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.</p> <p>So please dig deep and donate now.</p>