Tag Archives: sonnet

Happy May! This month brings with it ME/CFS Awareness Day on the 12th, and so I’m here to do a little cheerleading and fundraising.

In the past I have given the CFIDS Association of America (CAA) a hard time for some of their policies and activities regarding patient outreach. You could be forgiven for writing them off based on my commentary. But if I haven’t in the past, I want to emphasize now that my objections do not extend to their research program. The CAA is not affiliated with the Whittemore-Peterson Institute; obviously they are interested in the XMRV research from there but they have many other areas of research.

For example, last month their SolveCFS program announced a new BioBank. From the site:

The SolveCFS BioBank will collect and store a bank of biological samples (such as blood, buccal tissue, cells and DNA) and clinical information at the Genetic Alliance laboratory facility from individuals with CFS and unaffected individuals aged 10 and older. The samples and information will be used by approved researchers to identify biomarkers, explore the causes of and potential treatments for CFS.

Good stuff! And here’s something even better. A generous donor has contributed $10,000 towards the CAA’s efforts to raise $5 million in research funds this year. And not only that, but this donor has pledged to match all online donations made by May 12, up to a total of a further $10,000. This would be a remarkable $30,000 windfall for SolveCFS and another step closer to finding treatments and solutions for people with ME/CFS.

And now the pitch. If you happen to have an extra $10 or so burning a hole in your pocket, won’t you consider a donation to SolveCFS before May 12, either via the Facebook Cause or directly to SolveCFS? The hackneyed phrase “every little bit helps” truly applies here, since your donation is effectively doubled by the aforementioned donor.

I don’t have much to offer in the way of thank-you gifts, so here is the best I can do. If you donate $25 or more, I will write a personalized sonnet all about you, which I will then post on a future Weekend Sendoff (my usual Friday post). All you have to do is forward your email receipt to me at joey (at) newly-nerfed (dot) net; of course remove any identifying information you please. Especially if we don’t know each other too well, feel free to make a note of anything you’d particularly like mentioned in the poem — hobbies, work, family, etc.

I’m constantly reminded of the impressive innovations made possible by medical research, such as new vaccines, imaging tests, and so forth. I’m optimistic that I might see new tests and even treatments for ME/CFS in my own lifetime. I’m also aware that you are constantly being bombarded with requests for funding this cause or that project, and I apologize for adding to the fray. But if you can find it in your heart and your wallet to bolster my optimism, you will have my eternal gratitude. And maybe a poem!