We are thrilled to see the press tell our story of the #MillionsMissing this year, and the #MillionsMore “long haulers” expected to develop ME/CFS following a COVID-19 infection.
In Pittsburgh, a mother of four told her story in the Tribune-Review about her 25-year journey of never recovering after contracting EBV, the virus that causes Mono. Melissa Karabin, 42, says her heart hurts just walking around the house.
“Cardiology tests showed that Karabin had a heart of an 80-year-old woman — close to double her age. It means she can experience a shortness of breath — a classic symptom of heart disease — by simply walking or doing household chores.”
In Berlin, the Berliner Zeitung wrote two articles – one featuring the story of a woman with ME, and another article explaining its connection with Long COVID.
Charlie Wainwright, 24, from Leeds, UK shared her story of developing ME at the age of 11 in an article in the Yorkshire Evening Post. Chantelle Parry, 34 from Hardwicke, UK, shared her story in Gloucestershire Live of getting glandular fever in 2017, and never recovering, and going on to develop ME.
Deadline News out of the UK and RTE from Ireland picked up our story about how COVID-19 is causing millions more to develop ME. The Isle of Wight News turned our press release into a story.
“Before long Covid, there were already #MillionsMissing around the world, made up of individuals who got sick from infection and never recovered,” wrote Deadline News.
In Utah, KSL news reported on the work that the Bateman Horne Center has been doing for years to treat the ME community, and now its work treating long haulers showing up with the same core symptoms.
Outside the Isle of Man parliament, 70 people with ME protested for comprehensive care for ME and Long COVID, which made the Isle of Man News.
“Any patient-centred health service must recognise that Covid sufferers require aftercare. As the treatment of many of those with long-covid mirrors the treatment received by M.E. patients, the need for improved post-viral healthcare and a comprehensive M.E. service is greater than ever,” said Craig Morris who has ME, and is Vice President of M.E Support IoM.
To commemorate ME Awareness Day, The Malta Independent interviewed two women struggling to survive ME, and how doctors ignorant about ME can make patients worse.
“If a doctor is diagnosing you with FM when you’ve actually got ME and he’s pushing you to exert yourself, he could be pushing you to an early grave,” said Rebecca Camilleri, 37.
Letters to the Editor
#MEAction was excited to see the community use our toolkit to write letters to the editors of their local newspapers about ME and Long COVID. Two newspapers in New Hampshire ran letters in the Concord Monitor and the Union Leader.
We had a few in Santa Barbara, CA sent in by one individual featured in The Independent Santa Barbara and NoozHawk. One published in Texas at The Free Lance Star, another in Nevada City, CA in The Union, and one in Fredericksburg, VA.
In the United Kingdom, we had a Letter to the Editor featured in The Herald Scotland.
