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This September Dawn will ride the 300+ miles between London and Paris in aid of the ME Association, an organisation which supports people with and researches into a cure for chronic fatigue syndrome. Her mother has been diagnosed with ME and has suffered with ME for over 20 years.

It is estimated that around 250,000 people in the United Kingdom, including around 11,000 in Wales are affected by ME. The cause of the illness is uncertain, but common symptoms include severe and debilitating fatigue, painful muscles and joints, disordered sleep, gastric disturbances and poor memory and concentration. 

There is no accepted cure and no universally effective treatment. 

According to the ME Association those treatments which have helped reduce particular symptoms in some people have proved ineffective or even counterproductive in others. 

It's incredibly hard to watch someone go through ME. You feel helpless and very frustrated. Her mother used to lead a normal active life and now most days getting out of bed in the morning is a challenge.

Dawn knows there is not much she can do to make it better other than to just be there for her and try to lift her spirits...

In the coming months she's determined to do her bit to raise awareness and improve people's understanding of this terrible illness and to help fund the research, so that other people can avoid the suffering themselves or watching a loved one with the illness. The best way she knows how is to get on her bike.

Dawn knows that for her the fatigue will be temporary and she has to remind herself just how fortunate she is to be well enough to do something like this.

So please dig deep and donate now. Thanks!