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Julie's 60th Birthday Fundraiser for CureME LSHTM

Julie Houston is raising money for London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Celebrating the birthday of Julie
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CureME is on a mission to improve recognition, diagnosis and treatment of ME/CFS. We have set up the UKs first ME/CFS Biobank (UKMEB) which provides access to researchers globally.

Story

For my 60th birthday, instead of gifts, I would be deeply grateful if you would consider making a donation to CureME. I took part in their research over six months last year, and saw first-hand the vital and impactful work they do. Every contribution, no matter how small, can help support their efforts and make a real difference. Thank you! 🙏

Story

One in five hundred people in the UK suffer from ME/CFS. Many of them have been ignored, misunderstood and misdiagnosed.

The misconceptions and stigma surrounding the disease create barriers to research and have caused unnecessary suffering to people directly affected by ME/CFS and their loved ones.

Our vision is to drive clinical and biomedical research to improve the recognition, diagnosis, and treatment of ME/CFS — in the hope of one day finding a cure.

You can make a difference today

Behind every tube of blood donated to the bank is someone who gave their time, energy, and trust, often while experiencing fatigue and pain, with the risk of post-exertional crashes following their participation.

Their contribution is a profound act of generosity, grounded in the belief that research can change lives. Will you join them?

£10 could pay for blood draw tubes

£15 could help cover the cost of the test tubes and freezer storage for one set of blood samples for five years

£50 for could pay for laboratory blood tests

£150 would help cover the cost of the research nurse visiting people severely affected by ME/CFS at home so that they can be included in the project.

High-impact research

Research is more critical than ever to make up for years of underfunding and as many people with enduring Long Covid are now being told they have ME/CFS.

We're able to provide access to high-quality biological samples for the global research community. Our rigorously collected and well-characterised samples — comprising over 30,000 blood aliquots from people with ME/CFS, multiple sclerosis, Long Covid, and healthy controls — have been instrumental in driving high-impact biomedical research.

Removing barriers

We’re often approached by researchers unable to afford the samples that we make available at cost. We're able to offer a limited number of free samples currently. But we’d like to do even more.

By donating today, you can reduce barriers for researchers — particularly early-career scientists — reducing the costs and duration of projects. For many, this could be the catalyst needed to launch or advance crucial biomedical studies into ME/CFS.

Celebrating our volunteers

We're grateful to the amazing volunteers who participate in the project and our fundraising volunteers. We recognise that much of the funding is given by people with ME/CFS and their families and friends.

Impact

CureME researchers and users of the Biobank have been responsible for 42 publications, and we've distributed samples and data to teams in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Israel, Spain, and the USA.

A gift of any amount will make a tangible difference to towards better diagnosis, treatment, and recognition of ME/CFS. And by donating to CureME, you’re not just supporting a single organisation; you’re fuelling collaborative research efforts across the globe.

Find out more

Your gift in action

https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/supportus/gift-in-action/supporting-mecfs-biobank#:~:text=Storing%20samples%20in%20the%20UKMEB.%20Credit%20Anne%20Koerber,of%20life%20for%20affected%20individuals%20and%20their%20carers.

CureME website

https://cureme.lshtm.ac.uk/

Donation summary

Total
£800.00
+ £172.50 Gift Aid
Online
£800.00
Offline
£0.00

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