Take The Chilli M.E. Challenge.

The Chilli M.E. Challenge is an advocacy initiative started by four girls who met on Facebook and decided that something had to be done to spread awareness to those that don’t have ME and also to raise much needed funds for biomedical research for Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME)/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).

We are all ME sufferers and we all agreed that the ice bucket challenge had been a phenomenal success in raising both funds and awareness for ALS and we want to try to replicate that success by trying to raise global awareness for M.E.
Through brainstorming we have come up with The Chilli M.E. Challenge where participants have to take a bite from a hot chili or Tabasco sauce, or whatever level of chilli they feel comfortable with and film their hilarious reaction and then donate to Invest in ME/Research being done at Columbia university and nominate five others to take the challenge. In this way one person reaches five, five people reach twenty five and so on until more and more people understand the severity of living with M.E.
The ME in the name is representative of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/CFS. We wanted to do something fun and crazy to try to get away from the image that we are just lazy. ME is a much forgotten about illness and the reality of our world is that many sufferers do not have the energy to leave their bedrooms and society can easily forget about us. We are not suggesting that people that are ill, or pregnant, allergic or children take on this challenge but perhaps a healthy friend or family member could do it in your honour.
Whilst chilies don’t represent ME exactly they could be used as a metaphor for the pain, temperature extremes, suddenness of the illness and the huge impact that it has on our lives. Also Brain Fog!!! Try thinking of anything else with a hot chilli in your mouth!

MAKE YOUR VIDEO. RAISE MONEY FOR ME RESEARCH

So will you take The Chilli M.E. Challenge on ME awareness day May 12th?
Make a funny video of yourself (or have a family member or friend do it in honour of your disease) eating a chilli pepper or taking a small shot of Tabasco sauce and post it on Facebook for all of your friends to laugh at. Then nominate five others to take on The Chilli M.E. Challenge (if they are brave enough!) and donate. In Ireland text HOT to 50300, in the UK text CMEC73 to 70070 or visit the Just Giving page to raise money for Invest in ME. To support the research of Dr. Ian Lipkin and Dr. Mady Hornig, please check out the gofundme page.
[button_color url=”https://chillimechallenge.wordpress.com/about/” content=”Take the Challenge!” target=””] Most importantly spread the word and HAVE FUN!!
Love from The 4 Chilli’s in a pod,
Lindsey, Nicola, Brenda and Catherine.
For more information check out The Chilli M.E. Challenge Facebook page or Watch Chilli M.E. Videos