Hello

Thank you firstly for clicking on the link and coming here. We know it seems like everyone’s doing some kind of hop, skip and a jump at the moment but this is something we've been meaning to do for a very long time and I think its great that people are starting to get more actively involved with raising money and awareness for all the various causes.

The reason we're doing this for ME is Caroline's Mum has been suffering with ME for over 20 years now. As you can imagine, for many years, there was a debate as to whether it was actually an illness at all. But over time, bodies including The World Health Organisation, the Department of Social Security, the Department of Health, the Royal Colleges of Physicians, Psychiatrists and General Practitioners are now in agreement that it is real.

Commonly, a previously fit and active person finds their illness triggered by an infection. Less common triggers include toxins of some kind or a major trauma or stress.

The most common symptoms in brief are:

- Muscle symptoms include exercise intolerance and post-exertional malaise (i.e. feeling shattered the day after undue physical activity), pain/myalgia (present in around 75% of people)

- Brain and Central Nervous System symptoms include cognitive dysfunction (problems with short-term memory, concentration and maintaining attention), clumsiness, disequilibrium likened to 'walking on rubber', and word finding abilities.

- Symptoms which suggest on-going abnormalities in immune system function include sore throats, enlarged glands, joint pains, headaches, problems with temperature control and intermittent flu-like feelings.

- Sleep Disturbance

- Besides these more obvious and wide-spread symptoms there are also myriad "minor" ones. Not everyone experiences all of them and often they are not mentioned when patients describe their illness; however there is often very visible relief when they find others, too, have similar experiences.

At present there are no known cures. Some people get better, some people go in to a kind of remission, and some, like my mother, continue to deal with this illness indefinitely. It is one of the many many illnesses and disabilities that get over looked and we would really like to raise the most we possibly could. Please dig deep and sponsor us online.

Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: ME Research (ME Research Group For Education And Support, MERGE) will receive your money faster and, if you are a taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.

So please sponsor us now!

Many thanks for your support.