LDIFME Diamond Jubilee at 60k!

Congratulations to all involved on reaching the 60th £1,000 towards our inital target of £100k!

There is much to celebrate as you are all making a real difference to the lives of tens of thousands of people of all ages in UK and millions worldwide by helping to build a future for collaborative biomedical research aimed at finding reliable biomarkers for early diagnosis and effective treatment of myalgic encephalomyelitis as rapidly as possible and without further ado.

Invest in ME (IiME charity) held its 7th International Conference in London on 1st June, following the exciting and productive 2-day inaugural meeting of the new Clinical Autoimmunity Working Group.  The conference journal included an article by IiME about Let's do it for ME! They said:

"Let's do it for ME! is a patient-driven campaign to raise awareness and vital funds for a centre of excellence for translational biomedical ME research, clinical assessment, diagnosis and treatment for patients, and training and information for healthcare staff based at the University of East Anglia in the UK and aiming to work collaboratively with international biomedical researchers."

"The Let's Do It For ME campaign is a positive and proactive campaign. The aim is to raise funds for biomedical research but everyone's input is welcomed - be it just ideas or moral support for other people's fundraising.  Whilst raising funds for biomedical research the campaign is also raising much needed awareness and allowing correct information about ME to be disseminated." 

"In a short article such as this we cannot mention everyone who has taken part, or contributed with money or ideas. But the campaign has been effective and re-energised research, making the go-ahead for the IiME proposal nearer to reality.  Rather than waiting for others to do things – a strategy which has not fared well over a generation – the people involved in the efforts to make the IiME proposal a reality are taking it on themselves to make a difference."

Please click on this link to read the full article on Let's do it for ME in The Journal of IiME Volume 6 Issue 1 - IIMEC7 Conference Edition . The Journal contents include the following articles:

-  Let’s Do It for ME
- The New International Consensus Criteria for ME
- Jørgen Jelstad - The Drug and the Possibilities of Changing Everything
- Current Status of ME in Sweden
- Treatment of ME and FM with a Staphylococcus Vaccine
- Transcranial Sonography in the Diagnosis, Follow-up and Treatment of ME
- The Immunological Basis of ME - by Margaret Williams
- Presenters at IiME Conference
- Conference Agenda

Hard copies of the Journal are also available from Invest in ME - email info@investinme.org or visit www.investinme.org for other contact details and the full set of conference DVDs are also now available.

Many thanks to all those LDFIME supporters who kindly submitted photos for the image used and congratulations and many thanks to all who have joined in with the spirit of this campaign so far! 

LET'S DO IT FOR ME!

Your Photos for Mosaic by 30th April

Invest in ME plans to create a mosaic of photographs of those who have contributed to our campaign so far to make into a full page in the 7th Invest in ME Conference Journal with an article about Let's do it for ME.  Thanks to those who have sent in their photos already.

If you would like to be included in the mosaic, please send your photo by 30th April to:

fundraising4me@gmail.com

For previous Invest in ME Conference Journals, please click here.

About the Conference - IIMEC7

Invest in ME charity has held an international conference on biomedical ME/CFS research every year since 2006. This year's venue is the magnificent Lecture Theatre of One Birdcage Walk, in the heart of Westminster, London on 1st June.

The conference will appeal to healthcare professionals, including doctors, nurses, paediatricians, occupational therapists, researchers, ME/CFS support groups, people with ME/CFS and those working in social services, educational support and the media.

The conference provides an opportunity to network with other researchers, healthcare professionals and patient groups/charities, and for people within government, health departments, social services and education to be able to be informed of the true nature of ME/CFS and of the current status of diagnosis, treatment and current/future biomedical research possibilities. Maximum 6 point CPD-accreditation is available to those registering in the professional category.

The conference is a ticket-only event - please see the Invest in ME website for full details.

A conference DVD will be available in due course following the event. 

Don't forget that if you would like to be included in the mosaic of photos for the conference journal, please send your photo by 30th April at the latest to:

fundraising4me@gmail.com

Thank-you for your support.

Let's do it for ME!

Rosa's Wristbands

Fancy Design

These lovely blue ME Awareness wristbands are made of blue baby wool tied with ribbon and were crocheted by Rosalind Amor and donated by her to Invest in ME charity to raise funds for the UK Centre. Rosa says:

"I am now a year older than the age Alison Hunter was when she died of ME in 1996. I am 20 years old. Alison Hunter had suffered, horrendously, from ME for 10 years prior to her death. Her symptoms included seizures, paralysis, gastrointestinal paresis, heart damage, massive ulceration to her throat, horrendous neurological problems and overwhelming infection.

I have had ME for 12 years though fortunately not as badly as Alison Hunter. My ME seemed to be triggered by a virus of the gut when I was 8 years old. However, the exact cause of my many unpleasant symptoms (pain, nausea, partial paralysis, *brain fog*, extreme tiredness and lack of stamina, hypersensitivity) was unknown to me and my family until last year when some Mitochondria tests gave a glimpse of at least part of what is going wrong. You can find out more about me via my blog.

Simple Design

I have been crocheting wristbands to raise awareness and funds for the new centre proposed by Invest in ME Charity. There are 2 different designs and they are £2:50 each. I think this new centre is crucial if the ME community wants to move forward, towards better understanding and care for people like Alison Hunter and myself.  You can find out more about Alison Hunter here.

So please buy my wristbands to raise awareness of the suffering endured by teenagers with ME and funds to found a centre to provide a better future for them.

Please order by emailing info@investinme.org

Thank you for buying them."

Many thanks and very best wishes to Rosa.

You can visit Rosa's Facebook group - Let's do it for ME wristbands brigade - to post any photos of you wearing your wristband.  UPDATE: You can now also find Rosa's wristbands on the Make ME Crafts Facebook page.

The Alison Hunter Memorial Foundation kindly sponsored two of the annual Invest in ME International Conferences on biomedical research by donating toward production costs of the DVD of the 4th conference in 2009 and contributing toward the cost of the 5th Invest in ME conference in 2010.

UPDATE: The 7th IIMEC was held in London on 1st June 2012 and was titled: Building a Future for Research into ME Clinical and Research Updates in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis.  A new Clinical Autoimmunity Working Group, initiated by collaboration between Invest in ME, The Alison Hunter Memorial Foundation, and researchers from the University of East Anglia and Bond University, met for the first time at the end of May.  We, as ME patients, are very appreciative of the dedication and hard work of all involved in this exciting new development and hopeful of the progress that these collaborative working arrangements will achieve.

On 9th July Rosa said,

"We raised £104.72 during ME awareness month with collecting tins. In spite of being bedridden with repeated vomiting:) 

Haven't made any wristbands though, hands too weak.

Have to buy Jon Watson's (Make ME Crafts) for time being.

I so wish we could get this centre running, I need it!"

So come on everyone - let's do it for Rosa and others like her - Let's do it for ME!

(for options to simply donate to the research now)