I will take on the Great North Run, the biggest and best half marathon challenge in the world.

I have chosen to raise money for Action for M.E. because the charity focuses on increasing biomedical research and advocates for a stronger focus on Severe ME studies a cause close to my heart.

My lifelong friend has suffered from Severe ME for over 10 years. I’ve watched this seriously debilitating and disabling illness; derail her future, steal her independence and destroy her life.

People with Severe ME are often bedbound and experience profound levels of suffering. My best friend’s life has been reduced to basic survival, she often struggles moment by moment to breathe, eat, and drink, while enduring extreme pain and is dependant on 24 hour care and support.

It is heart breaking to see my friend suffer such horrific and relentless symptoms that make basic daily living a constant fight to survive and to be deprived of life events many of us take for granted.

She is a survivor and her strength and courage helped initiate a exploratory study of the severely affected. She is a true inspiration.

There is a scandalous lack of support and research into ME and especially the most severe form. We remain hopeful that research will one day give my best friend and other’s back their life and a cure can be found for one of the most cruel diseases.

I had to rebuild my life after I suffered a stroke as a child. My road to recovery was overwhelming and I had to learn to walk again but I am now able to lead a full life. For people with Severe ME their quality of life is poor, they’re unlikely to recover, there is no treatment and no cure.

The Great North Run sees thousands of runners take on the half marathon challenge. I will take on the challenge to raise money to help fund biomedical research and to help raise awareness of Severe ME and the neglect experienced by millions of people with ME. I will take a stand for my best friend with Severe ME and millions of ME sufferers missing the ability to lead their lives.

ME affects around 250,000 (1 in 250) people in the UK and 25% of sufferers are chronically ill and severely disabled by the disease. 

ME is a neurological and physical condition. It is a complex and multisystem illness affecting many body systems, more commonly the nervous and immune systems, resulting in a range of neurological symptoms and abnormalities in; muscle, heart and brain function. 

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis is as disabling as Multiple Sclerosis and Rheumatoid Arthritis but the level of disability for Severe ME is as profound as almost any disability can be. It is extremely life limiting and can be life threatening. There is no cure or treatment.

ME is incredibly misunderstood and biomedical research into the mechanisms to find a cause, treatment and a cure will help stop the ignorance, injustice and neglect ME sufferers face and give hope for a better future, for better independence and for a better life.

Please support Action for M.E to fund new biomedical research to stop ME destroying lives.

Every donation makes a difference.

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