As the U.S. Advocacy Manager for #MEAction, I have the great pleasure of connecting fully to my life’s purpose: to be part of igniting the fire for change in the world. While it took me a while to determine that purpose, this truth has always been a driving force in my life. From a young age, I knew I wanted to help make the world a better place and have chased this pursuit madly. Most of my professional career has been in the health non-profit space, working to raise money and awareness for many different diseases including breast cancer, Multiple Sclerosis, pancreatic cancer, and Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. I even supplemented my work with a Masters degrees in Clinical Psychology to gain a deeper understanding into human relationships and connections. And since I like to see change in action, I have worked on a few electoral campaigns over the years. Wherever life takes me, the one common string that connects all the dots is my purpose to ignite change, especially working with others to harness their power and their voice. I was thrilled to bring all of my various experience to #MEAction to advocate with people with ME and create that change so badly needed.
As part of my job, I have the pleasure of working to carry out the vision of #MEAction’s Congressional Committee. This past year has been incredible! We sent a bicameral, bipartisan letter to the HHS, calling for increased spending for appropriations, and resolutions recognizing ME in both houses! In April, I helped coordinate the largest ME/CFS Advocacy Week and Day in Congress along with our community partner.
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At ME/CFS Advocacy Week, I was completely in awe of the attendees who risked their health to attend and those who traveled miles to represent family members and friends who could not make it. Everyone sat in trainings sessions, took a bus ride during rush hour traffic, and stormed the long halls of Congress all to be heard! Many more took action from home! Everyone did this to show our members of congress we won’t be ignored! Plus, there were many new people attending Advocacy Day for the first time. This is proof that as we continue to expand our reach, we will expand our activism and our activists.
During my first few days of the job 8 months ago, I attended a staff retreat where I was able to witness firsthand the impact ME has on the lives of our staff and volunteers. And since then, I have learned so much more from our amazing staff and volunteers who have shared their stories with me. I continue to learn more each day about ME, and I have great admiration for everyone’s passion for change. What #MEAction and its dedicated activists have accomplished, since its inception a few years ago, is absolutely incredible. I am so lucky to work with such an fantastic group of people.
This was all made possible because of people like you supporting our work over the years. So I am asking you to support #MEAction’s congressional and state advocacy work! Join me in being the fire that ignites change so we can live in a world with accessible, compassionate treatment and support for people with ME!
By the end of June, our goal is to raise $100,000 in the US and £10,000 in the UK. I am asking you to donate to #MEAction today to keep this work going. We are almost at $40,000 in the US and £8,000 in the UK. WE ARE GETTING there. Every single bit counts.
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