Ellie Rushton, from Birmingham UK, recently raised an amazing £1000 for #MEAction UK, by doing 1000 bodyweight reps every day for 6 months! We are so thankful to Ellie for her determination to support #MEAction and people with ME.

Please, find below a few words from Ellie about her experience!

 “When I started this fundraiser I had no idea whether or not it was going to work, so it feels wonderful to have raised £1000 for #MEAction UK. I’d like to thank everyone for their generous donations – from friends, family and strangers alike who all helped me to hit such a great (and fitting!) number. 

Did I manage to do 1000 reps every single day? Not quite! But by setting that outrageous goal, I managed to push myself way further than I thought I would be able to as a healthy ally. I’m really proud of myself, and I’m now treating my muscles to a looooot of yoga.

The best thing about this experience was getting to connect with so many new people and talk to them about their experiences with ME. Before I started this I only really had the perspective of a couple of people, but now I have heard so many different stories and even been able to make a few blog posts out of them.

A really inspiring moment came when I asked online ‘What are the best gifts people with ME can give themselves’ and I got over a hundred responses! It was amazing to see all the different ways people with ME were able to take positive action on their situation, in small and large ways. I especially loved the answers which were all about how people can take care of themselves emotionally. It’s actually a list I think anyone could benefit from reading!

Almost as soon as this fundraiser finished, COVID-19 really started to affect the world, and I know this must be a scary time for anyone with a chronic health condition. So, I’d really like to take this moment to send love and spoons to everyone reading this, and I hope the money I raised contributes to a future of better healthcare for people with ME.”

Thank you so much, Ellie, for all your hard work and for your support!!

If you would like to support our UK work, you can donate here or start your own fundraiser here. Thank you!