#MEAction Georgia volunteer, Cory Anderson-Sweeney, uses her Baby Deer Bakery to spread awareness about ME and her Cookie of the Month Club to help raise funds for #MEAction. We were inspired by her journey and we hope you will enjoy the scrumptious look into her story in her own words. Here’s the delicious morsel:
When I became sick in 2022, doctor after doctor told us the same things “It’s Long Covid,” “We’ve never seen anyone as sick as you,” and worst of all, “We can’t help you.”. Then, my husband stumbled across a tweet from Liz Burlingame. Suddenly, we had a name for the dozens of symptoms that had taken me from marathon training to entirely bedbound seemingly overnight. The relief that I wasn’t alone was beyond words and so was the devastation that there was no cure, nothing doctors could do to give me my life back. #MEAction’s guides to ME/CFS, PEM, and pacing became our medical guides and I tried to find ways to cope with a life trapped in bed.
Then, I found an Instagram post about something called Blue Sunday- the Tea Party for ME and for the first time, I felt a spark of hope, a sense that I could do something meaningful. I couldn’t cure myself, but I could contribute to the fight for a cure. Blue Sunday began more than a decade ago as a way for a severely ill person with ME to come together with her friends and family for a bit of virtual company. In its first iteration, Anna Redshaw asked her inner circle to share a picture of them enjoying a slice of cake and a cup of tea so they could all mark an occasion “together” even though she was too unwell for company. Since then, it has grown into an international fundraising, awareness, and community-celebrating event that has raised over £100,000 for research and ME charities around the world. I couldn’t cure myself, but I could support the people who might.
I announced my first Blue Sunday tea party menu in April of 2023, a month or so out from the May event and was shocked and honored to have so many requests from other people with ME. One of them invited me to join #MEAction GA and to say that group has saved my life is not hyperbole. I was instantly met with friendship and understanding and, something I didn’t expect, an opportunity to discover my voice as an advocate.
The year before the pandemic, I’d opened a small cottage food bakery and our Cookie of the Month club debuted a few months later. At the time, I was running half and full marathons on behalf of charity teams and donating part of the profits was the perfect way to support fundraising while doing something I love and treating people to something delicious. After my first Blue Sunday and becoming part #MEAction, I knew I wanted to do more and Cookie Club seemed the perfect opportunity: it already had a small, enthusiastic membership and it was something I was already managing(ish), even if it did take me hours longer, a kitchen chair, and plenty of breaks.
I include information about #MEAction in a welcome letter to new Cookie Club members and every Blue Sunday order is tied up with a bow and information on both the day and ME/CFS. Seeing it laid on in print, even the people who have pushed my wheelchair and been core parts of our support system are shocked by the magnitude of ME/CFS and the realization that we don’t have any options for treatment. I tend to inherently soften anything I say to my friends and family about life with ME to protect them from some of the fear and grief, so seeing the facts laid bare is often the first time they are getting an unfiltered look at our realities.
For everything my first Blue Sunday gave to me, my second Blue Sunday let me give just as much back to others. People from across the country—and even overseas—reached out. They donated treats for loved ones with ME/CFS, ordered for themselves (though I can only ship within GA due to cottage food licensing regulations), or simply expressed gratitude, saying mine was the first business they’d seen actively supporting ME charities. My bakery always offers gluten free and vegan alternatives to any menu item and, with so many of us managing dietary restrictions, that has been a wonderful way to help make the day as inclusive as possible for as many as possible. This disease is incredibly lonely at times and if I can use cookies, tea, and scones to remind people that they aren’t alone and to give us all some hope- it feels like one of the most important things I can offer.
If you would like to be part of Blue Sunday and/or Cookie Club (and I so hope you will!), everything you need to know can be found on our website as well as our social media accounts—again can only ship to residents in Georgia. This year, I’m also putting together some resources to host your own Blue Sunday (whether large or small) so you can make it your own however suits you best. Cookie Club runs year round with a new, club exclusive flavor each month and donates 15% of every membership to #MEAction. Blue Sunday takes place May 18, 2025 (the Sunday after ME Awareness Day) and our tea party menu is available by pre-order only from April 1-May 1, though no order or donation is necessary to participate- come as you are, however best suits you. 100% of our Blue Sunday profits are donated. To date, we have donated over $1500 and I hope to add at least another $1000 to that total this year.
Instagram/Facebook @BabyDeerBakery
You can also join the Blue Sunday festivities by following @theslowlane.me #BlueSunday and #BlueSunday2025
