May12.org initiated the Global Awareness Day for Complex Immunological & Neurological Diseases. Accordingly, 12 May is the International ME Awareness Day and May is ME Awareness Month. Blue is the awareness colour for ME.
12th of May was chosen because it’s the birth date of Florence Nightingale, who is believed to have ME.
ME is classified as a neurological disease by the World Health Organisation, the same category as Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease. It affects multiple systems such as the brain (autonomic function, cognitive function, sensory stimuli process, sleep regulation, body temperature regulation, and etc), energy metabolism, immune system, endocrine system, muscles and digestive systems.
An estimated 250,000 Australians have ME (Source: ICP). 25% are housebound or bedbound. The ME burden of disease on society is estimated to cost Australia $4 billion in direct and indirect health costs each year.
Despite these significant figures, ME still remains an orphan disease, with no specialist provision within the healthcare system.
On 12 May, we have Logan City Council and Bethania Community Centre to Light Up the Night in Blue to support the awareness day.
There will be Water Tower Blue Light Show at Telfer Street Shailer Park and Brookvale Drive Underwood. (Wineglass Water Tower is currently out of action due to maintenance.)
Bethania Community Centre will light up their window in blue.
Between Sun, 9 and Sat, 15 May, there will be a collaborative global ME Health Equality campaign #MillionsMissing. I would love you to watch the UNREST documentary film to see how this campaign was started.
Please visit our Resource page and click some of the links to learn about ME.
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