My name is Kayley Rainton and I have been suffering with M.E since October 2009. This week is national M.E Awareness Week and in aid of this, some of my closest friends have shown true Burgess Hill School colours by organising a range of charity events. These include a raffle, bake sale, a presentation and a non-school uniform day that will all take place from the 12th to the 14th of May.
M.E, (Myalgic encephalomyelitis) also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, is a debilitating illness affecting over 150,000 people in the UK, yet many people still dont know what it is. The main reason for this is that only in 2002 was it recognised as a 'genuine' illness rather than a psychological problem. Doctors struggle to understand this illness because no cause or cure has been found and every sufferer deals with a range of symptoms at varying severities over different amounts of time.
Diagnosis is difficult as there is nothing in particular that indicates the invisible neurological illness known as M.E. The patient must experience fatigue over a time period of around 6 months before a doctor considers the illness. Symptoms include overwhelming and persistent fatigue, pain in muscles and joints, nausea, sleep difficulties, problems with the nervous system and 'brain fog'.
M.E is an illness that causes distress and disruption to many people and families across the world and we need to raise awareness today. If you would also like to help raise awareness or just become more informed you can visit many support and information sites online, such as AYME or Action for M.E.
The money that we raise at Burgess Hill School for Girls this week is going to be donated to The M.E Association and BRAME (who kindly supplied blue ribbons for us to sell).
I would like to take this opportunity to thank, on behalf of all M.E sufferers, charities as mentioned above, all friends and family that care for sufferers but most importantly my friends and school who have arrange for these events to happen.
If you know of someone with M.E consider dropping them a note, a text or a call, depending on what they are able to deal with best, I can guarantee it will make their week.
10th-14th May, M.E Awareness. Make sure you are aware.
Written by Kayley Rainton, Year 10
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| Kayley and friends raising money for M.E |
10/05/10
