A year and a half ago I helped fundraise to send a friend to the Spero Clinic in Arkansas, USA. She was bed-bound with fibromyalgia. She regained her life through the amazing three month treatment she received in the summer of 2018. She is now doing an access course to train to be a midwife and a maths GCSE, but best of all, she can cook her family meals, take her daughter to school and do the shopping- all she ever wanted! We had to raise over £30,000 for the treatment, flights and accommodation. You can find out more about Jo’s journey on Facebook @freedomfromfibro1

I (and Jo too!) want to help send another friend to the Spero Clinic. We think we will need over £30,000 again. Corinne has been ill for over ten years. It began with depression following a stress related break down. She had to give up her job of managing community projects and begin the seeming never-ending journey of taking medication and counselling. She loved her work and had been doing it for over 20 years. She has had many ups and downs over the 10 years but decline has been the general trajectory. Now she is house-bound and often bed-bound.

Although it was originally her mental health that was the problem, her physical health is now the main issue and this is why we think the clinic can help. She has been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (M.E.) and Chronic Regional Pain following major abdominal surgery a few years ago. This has also left her with a complex bowel condition and other long term health issues. She sees consultants in 4 different departments of the NHS. She is in constant pain and is on a concoction of over 15 prescribed medications to try to control it, as well as treat the other health problems. None of it is working. Her husband and two daughters care for her and would love to see her enjoying life again.

She doesn’t moan. But she feels that she has no hope for a future.

The Spero Clinic is the only known clinic in the western world that treats fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue and Chronic Regional Pain successfully. Britain’s NHS just doesn’t know enough about the condition and hasn’t the money to be setting up similar clinics in the UK any time soon. This clinic is Corinne’s only hope - she has tried everything that the NHS (who have been wonderful- thank you NHS!) has to offer without success. We are trying to raise the funds to send her to the Spero Clinic in Arkansas. You can read about the clinic here: https://www.thesperoclinic.com/

If you would like to, please donate. Any amount will help and will have an impact not just for Corinne, but for her children, husband, family and friends who hate seeing her suffer without a visible end.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/fibromyalgia/symptoms/

http://www.fmauk.org/2-uncategorised/52-what-is-fibromyalgia

The photo below was taken over a year ago - Corinne has worked hard to ensure her weight is not a contributing factor in any of her health issues. She has lost over 6 stone (see the last photo!) but sadly this does not seem to have had the positive results hoped for, and she is in just as much pain as ever. This weight loss was her last hope at attempting to get better. She needs the Spero Clinic to step in and restore her back to health.