News

Penguin publish Maia’s letter from lockdown

December 21, 2020

A new book from Penguin, Letters from lockdown, brings together stories sent in by BBC Radio 4 listeners for its “Covid chronicles” series – including 14-year-old Maia-Simona, who has M.E.

“I think my main point of writing to the BBC about M.E. was to spread awareness, as people with M.E. are very often overlooked,” explains Maia-Simona, who regularly contributes to Cheers, the monthly e-newsletter produced by and for our young person’s community.

With funds raised through sales being donated to Children in Need, Letters from lockdown features stories “ranging from the everyday (the thrill of booking a food delivery) to the momentous (a wedding on Zoom)", alongside Maia-Simona’s personal take on the pandemic. She adds:

“I found it easy to transition into lockdown because staying inside a lot and not being able to do much is very normal to me and thousands of people with M.E. So although there’s a miracle vaccine coming and everyone may soon return to their usual lives once again, most people with M.E. will be left behind and I think it’s important for people to recognise that this is the reality for us.”

We would like to say huge congratulations to Maia-Simona on this brilliant achievement, and share our grateful thanks for raising awareness and understanding of M.E.