12 March 2012
A summary of recent M.E. related stories in the news. Headlines appearing in the media as dated.
Michael Crawford backs a quiet life
Actor Michael Crawford has told how leading a quiet life in a small town in New Zealand has restored his health and ended the chronic fatigue that threatened his career. The 70-year-old star of Some Mothers Do ‘Ave ‘Em who went on to play the title role in the original production of The Phantom of the Opera became ill with M.E. in 2004, but returned to the West End for the first time in seven years last year to play the Wizard of Oz at the London Palladium.
Daily Mail, p 27
12/03/12
Special day for couple
A man who uses a wheelchair because of his M.E. has set his sights on walking his childhood sweetheart bride down the aisle after winning a dream wedding in a competition at a wedding fair. Lewis Jackson, 24, from Little Eaton, Derbyshire, proposed to Stephanie Degg, 23, who has been his girlfriend since their early teens, while on holiday in Tenerife last year.
Derby Telegraph, p 7
10/03/12
Celebrity backing for Glamsticks
A woman diagnosed with M.E. eight years ago who set up a company selling glammed up walking aids, has seen them become must-have celebrity fashion items. Debbie Deboo, 44, who grew up in Wrexham, but now lives in Northern Ireland, had the idea for Glamsticks after dressing up her grey NHS crutches to cheer herself up. Celebrity clients include Hollyoaks star Kelly Marie Stewart, who took them to the Soap Awards and Heather Mills, who used them after a skiing accident.
The Chester Leader, p 8
07/03/12
Emma’s African dream
A teenager who achieved six GCSEs despite only attending around 25 per cent of her lessons because of her CFS, is now hoping to raise £2,500 for a once-in-a-lifetime educational trip to South Africa and Mozambique. Emma Manning, 16, of Stoke Ash, Suffolk, has so far raised £1,000 towards the trip with conservation charity Operation Wallacea by working in a local shop. Her local church will be supporting her by donating the profits from a fair and dog show on 7 May.
East Anglian Daily Times, p 21
10/03/12
Parents: look out for signs
Adults are not the only ones to get CFS and parents should look out for symptoms in their children who may remain silent and withdrawn for long periods of time and have muscle pains and problems concentrating.
AllAfrica.com, online
12/03/12
Bank charge refund
First Direct bank agreed to refund £200 of bank charges after hearing that a woman who inadvertently went over her overdraft limit had CFS and was willing to accept text message alerts – with her phone on silent - to stop the problem happening again.
Daily Telegraph, p 4 (Your Money)
10/03/12
Musical achievement
Proud wife Starling Linus has been holding up banners with positive messages in Oxford City centre to celebrate her husand Ben, who has had CFS, finishing an album with his band Hashtag Alice.
Pick Me Up, p58
12/03/12
Legal ruling
It is insufficient for a claimant to show that his employer knew or ought to have known that he had too much work to do, or even to show that he was vulnerable to stress due to overwork, in the context of a claim that stress in the workplace had induced CFS.
New Law Journal, p 363
09/03/12
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