Hi, I'm Charlotte. I am twenty and have a condition called M.E - which stand for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis. Unfortunately I'm not well enough to do most of the typical things people usually do to fundraise (e.g. sponsored cycle/swim/run etc) so I'm taking part in Blue Sunday (May 17th) by having an online tea party to help raise money and awareness. 

Joining In...

If you'd like to join in with my online tea party on the 17th of May, all you have to do is treat yourself to some tea and cake, or coffee and biscuits, or even a glass of wine (whatever you fancy!) and then I'm asking if you could just make a small donation on here, I suggest making a donation similar to what you'd expect to pay in a cafe! 

You can also donate £2 by texting MEBS75 £2 to 70070!

And if you'd like to, and to help raise awareness, you can post a photo of you enjoying your treats on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook and hashtag it with #virtualteapartyforME and that way everyone can see who has joined in! You don't have to post a photo to donate, and you don't have to donate to post a photo and join in!  

What is M.E?

M.E stands for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, and is also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), CFIDS and SEID. It is classed as a neurological disorder. M.E produces a variety of symptoms, including: overwhelming fatigue, widespread pain, headaches/migraines, insomnia/hypersomnia, nausea & other stomach issues, cognitive impairment (such as poor short term memory, word finding difficulties and poor concentration levels), poor temperature regulation, noise, light and food sensitives, and many more. The severity of these symptoms varies from patient to patient. The most severely affected can be temporarily paralysed, in constant severe pain, unable to speak or chew. For many it can mean being bed bound or housebound, and even for the most mildly affected it can make living a normal life extremely difficult or often impossible. There is no guarantee of patients fully or partially recovering, in the short or long term.

In order to manage the condition, patients are encouraged to follow a personal and strict 'pacing' routine along with improving sleep, eating healthily and correctly, and managing pain.

Currently, there is no effective treatment for M.E as the cause of the condition is unknown (there are various theories that need further research, such as mitochondrial dysfunction or persistent viral infection). This is why raising money and awareness is so important to first research the cause of the illness, to then go on to find an effective treatment.

'I have M.E...'

I was diagnosed with M.E in October 2014, after being very poorly for six months. I have what is considered to be 'Moderate M.E' and I'm affected every day by the debilitating symptoms. Having M.E has meant that I have not been able to go to university, I haven't been able to drive and be independent, I can't bake cakes or cook, I have had to give up sailing, skiing, swimming, and I find walking around the garden or walking up the stairs to be completely exhausting. Some days I might be well enough to be out of the house for a couple of hours, others I can't get out of bed and merely holding a conversation is very difficult and exhausting. 

I hope that I will be well enough to go to university soon and study to be a Speech and Language Therapist - I'm so looking forward to it! 

Why the M.E Association?

I've chosen to raise money for the ME Association because it is one of the leading charity's/associations for M.E. Many charities just focus on raising money for research, which is obviously important and worthwhile, but it doesn't help those who are suffering right now with the day-to-day aspects of living with ME. The ME Association also provides help and support to patients. They offer a helpline, advocate for sufferers, and provide vital information for patients and their carers on how to deal with this debilitating illness.

Thank you very much for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.