Today is (was?) International ME/CFS Awareness Day, and the Sock It 2 ME/CFS project is officially launched. Hoping to do for ME/CFS sufferers, research budgets and families what the AIDS quilt did for HIV, the “sock project” has the potential to open a lot of eyes.

Some quick info from the site:

What is Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, as it’s known in the US, is a debilitating disease which has been classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as an organic, infectious neuro-immune disorder since 1969.  It can occur in both epidemic and sporadic forms; over 60 outbreaks of ME/CFS have been recorded worldwide since 1934.

ME/CFS …

• causes more functional impairment than diabetes, heart failure or kidney disease.
• creates a level of disability comparable to MS, chemotherapy or the final stages of AIDS.
• strikes an estimated 17 to 20 million worldwide, impairing function and shortening lives.
• like AIDS in the early days, gets inadequate funding due to widespread misunderstanding.

has only recently gained notice in blood banks internationally as an infectious disease concern.

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