We are running the Edinburgh Half Marathon in May this year in memory of our beautiful, clever, kind and funny cousin Andrew, who sadly passed away in March this year. He had been suffering immeasurably from a cruel and incurable illness called ME/CFS which cut his life unfairly short. 

He was an incredibly bright and determined young man with a brilliant mind, a quiet but wicked sense of humour and a gentle heart. He was always there for friends and family, especially in times of need and was always thinking of others. 

He was studying genetics at Edinburgh University, when at the age of 19 he was diagnosed with the life altering and debilitating illness, ME/CFS. From being an incredibly motivated, active young man who taught himself Russian (for fun!) and cycled everywhere, he became so fatigued that daily tasks were just impossible and he was in agonising pain all day everyday. Doctors couldn't do anything for him. He was so brave for so long, but he eventually lost his fight to this terrible illness.

A scientist at heart, Andrew was studying genetics at Edinburgh University before he fell ill. One of the experiments being done there currently is trying to find and prove a biological cause for ME. They are one of the first to use material from the ME/CFS biobank which was partly made possible by ME Research UK. Please support us by making a donation to help fund this important and necessary biomedical research into ME/CFS in Andrew's name.

Thanks,

Nicole, Lauren, Chris and Jonny

"....doctors do not treat us and science does not study us. How could a disease this common and this devastating have been forgotten by medicine?" Jennifer Brea

ME Research UK believes that only biomedical research can find the causes of ME/CFS, improve diagnosis and treatment, and, ultimately, arrive at a cure. That’s why research is our focus. We've awarded 47 grants since 2000 and invested over £1.5million. But research is expensive and becoming more so every day. That’s the challenge we face, and that’s why we need your help.