#MEAction Washington is asking all of Seattle to come out and support our #MissingMillions protest!
The Seattle protest is on May 25 in front of the Henry M. Jackson Federal building at 915 2nd Avenue in downtown Seattle. This peaceful demonstration will be held from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM and will emphasize how people with ME/CFS are missing equitable governmental funding, adequate medical care, proper training for doctors, and ultimately, missing out on our own lives.
The first way you can help is to show up to the event. The more people who rally behind us, the more likely our voices will be heard. It will be a low-key event, because most people with ME/CFS cannot tolerate much sound, light, or motion. So bring your camp chair, your picnic lunch, and take a look at the rows of shoes telling the stories of the 25% of us who are housebound or bedridden.
We also encourage you to ask your friends, your family members, your church, and other community groups to attend. Because we are so disabled, we need others to stand in for us. We could also use volunteers to help with set-up, making posters, chauffeuring, providing sandwiches, and other necessary tasks.
If you live in Alaska, Idaho, Washington, or Oregon and would like to participate in our event from afar, there are two ways to get involved. You can email a photo of yourself along with your full name, city, state and the number of years you’ve had this illness. Additionally, you can send us a pair of shoes tagged with your name, a small biography, or a slogan. For further information, direct your emails to [email protected].
To find out more about the #MillionsMissing campaign, contact #MEAction on Facebook or Twitter.
You have the ability to make a difference in the future of ME/CFS. Join the #MillionsMissing protest today!
2 thoughts on “Support the #MillionsMissing Seattle Protest on May 25”
The CDC has budget with billions more than before. Time to fund M.E. Congress and Feds, HHS need to think about this objectively.
AIDS is 75% males patients, 1.25M people ill total gets $3B NIH funding
ME/CFS is 75% females, 2 million ill and gets $6M NIH R&D in 2015
The is a 500X discrimination against women, and against M.E.
The $3B per year AIDS R&D has been a huge success and NIH is applauded for taking what was a death sentence, and converting to a treatable livable disease that still needs some R&D. But ME/CFS is a much worse disease now than AIDS, affecting more people. For a fair government, there is no longer any justification for spending 500X less on ME/CFS. Govt needs to fairly represent all people. ME/CFS deserves at least $250M/year ASAP, or $3B per year to be equitable, if the HHS want to stop this discrimination, WHICH IT MUST DO. We need to ask NOW, National Organization for Women, to campaign for funds and for all govt to fully fund this disease R&D. Approx 10% of women may get breast cancer and 1% may die of this. 1% or women may get ME/CFS and never recover, which is not dying of this, but are sentenced to a life imprisoned in their house or bed in many cases, never to recover. 250,000 are housebound or bedbound, having not even been accused of any misdeeds, and little chance of getting out of this Prison. This is social injustice by congress. Some do die from ME/CFS, and if approx 1% of people die per year vs 3% of MECFS, the added 2% deaths is approx 40,000 per year, more than die of car wrecks in US. This is a major disease, costs up to $50B/yr to US economy (CDC Feb 2016) to spending $250M/year in 2017 would end the gross discrimination of the past, and set us on a new, enlightened path together with NIH, CDC etc. This is an exciting year for all, but need more funds, and need buyin by 100% of 100 senators during current election cycle, or we need to vote any discriminators out of office in Nov or sooner. In May we need to educate 100 senators, and 100% should agree for major funding. Put them each to the litmus test: will they stop discriminating against Women and M.E.! I Do WA state Senators and reps support ME?
Many of us working for #MEAction have been testifying and negotiating with senatorial staffer for many months. It is, however, a painfully protracted and expensive process and so we’re also taking it to the streets. Your idea of reaching out to NOW is inspired and I would encourage you to follow it up. If you live in Washington state, please join our FB group, #MEAction Washington. Because most of our group is severely affected with ME, we could use more volunteers. You can also “friend” me on FB and see what kinds of actions we are planning. As to your last question, I would say that Senator Patty Murray is definitely an ally–but what this amounts to in terms of real funding support is another matter entirely.
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