November is National Family Caregivers Month, offering an opportunity to acknowledge the vital contributions made by family caregivers everywhere. In the ME/CFS community, we know the difference a loving caregiver can make in the life of a person who suffers from debilitating illness.
According to the National Alliance of Caregiving (NAC), some 53 million Americans serve as caregivers and that number will undoubtedly increase in the wake of COVID-19.
Solve M.E.’s Director of Advocacy and Community Relations, Emily Taylor, is a caregiver for her mother who has ME/CFS. She tells us:
“My experiences as my mother’s caregiver have taught me that the fight against ME/CFS looks different for each person. For me, my commitment to improving the life of my loved one led me to becoming an advocate. ”
In the video below, filmed at an ME/CFS benefit concert in Petaluma, CA, Emily shares her family’s story and explains how her mother’s collapse in 2008 changed the trajectory of their lives.
Emily says, “My mom taught me to fight. Her struggle with this terrible disease drives me to fight. And, I fight for her and the millions of others who don’t have the support of a loving family, appropriate medical care, or even a proper diagnosis of their illness. I am honored to fight side-by-side with tens of thousands of ME/CFS advocates trained, supported, and empowered by our work.”
You can join Emily, her mom, and the entire Solve M.E. community in this fight by giving your time to our advocacy initiatives, adding your data to our You + M.E. Registry and Biobank (more non-ME controls are still needed!) or making a donation that will fuel our fight to end ME/CFS. No matter how you choose to join this fight, your contribution will make a difference to millions.
