As some of you will know I suffer from a chronic illness called M.E., a neuroimmune illness that has dramatically changed my life.

This year I am joining The Princesses and M.E., a group of M.E. patients and supporters that are hoping to raise awareness of M.E. and fund-raise for the charities that do such a great job in supporting patients and those close to them. On May 12th, M.E. awareness day, myself and other sufferers will be dressing as Princesses and hoping for a fairy tale.

Our ultimate fairy tale would be finding a cure for this illness that has locked us away from the world. That would be an absolute dream come true. However to do that we need to raise as much awareness as possible, educating everyone about the true nature of this illness and the disabling nature it can have on the lives of sufferers and those closest to them. There are more than 250,000 diagnosed cases in the UK alone. 250,000 lives (plus carers, friends, careers and families) that have been altered drastically and 250,000 who are waiting for more effective diagnoses and treatments, better consistency of information from health care professionals worldwide and of course the chance of a cure to come charging our way like a Knight in Shining Armour (or perhaps Sigourney Weaver riding an Alien if fairy tales aren't your thing ;) )

This year I am fundraising for Invest In M.E. I chose this charity because of the great work they do to support M.E. sufferers and raise awareness, and their drive to fund and deliver good-quality biomedical research. They are a voice for the vulnerable in a world of much misunderstanding and prejudice against M.E. patients.

I also raise funds for Invest in ME through sales of my handmade jewellery - you can see my things on my website (www.decadentdragonfly.co.uk), on my facebook page (Decadent Dragonfly) and my Etsy store (Decadent Dragonfly).

THANK YOU FOR HELPING!