June 2026
Hello and welcome to June’s newsletter. Hope you have had the best month possible.
Carers Week
This month during 8th-16th June we celebrated Carers Week. Carers Week is an annual campaign in June to raise awareness of caring. Smile For ME have joined in with this event since 2018 as we want to highlight carers of ME sufferers. ME doesn’t just affect those suffering, it affects those around them who have to take on the role of being a carer.
We celebrated some of the wonderful carers of ME sufferers by sending 40 special BearHugs Smiles to thank them for all they do and show them how much they are appreciated.
Sending a big hug to those caring for a loved one. You are amazing and everything you do is much appreciated not just during Carers Week but always.
Special Touch
Included in the Bear Hugs Smiles sent this month was a hand written message by the person who nominated them in a donated card. Thank you to those who kindly donated cards. 
“Just wanted to send an email to say that my carer Ryan received his smile today! He does so much for me to ensure that I can keep on thriving and he was delighted with his surprise to show appreciation for everything he does.I’ve attached a photo of him with his goodies. Thank you for everything you do as a charity, you’re doing fantastic work and it’s lovely following you on social media and seeing others receiving their smiles and the awareness your raising about ME.”“Just wanted to send an email to say that my carer Ryan received his smile today! He does so much for me to ensure that I can keep on thriving and he was delighted with his surprise to show appreciation for everything he does.I’ve attached a photo of him with his goodies. Thank you for everything you do as a charity, you’re doing fantastic work and it’s lovely following you on social media and seeing others receiving their smiles and the awareness your raising about ME.”
“I just wanted to say thank you for the Bear Big boxes you sent to my parents, Margaret and Billy, after I nominated them. They were a lovely suprise for them and they were over the moon! It did indeed make them smile.The boxes were a great mix of items, including keepsakes, cake bars, and chocolate buttons.The forget-me-not seed balls in my Dad’s box have already been planted in the garden, if they grow I’ll send you a photograph.The nice handwritten greeting cards included in the boxes were great too.Thank you again, I really appreciated the opportunity to suprise them with some special treats.”
“What an absolute delight to receive a Bear Hug package for Carers Week. I assumed it was an Amazon delivery sitting at the door so was blown away to open it and read the lovely hand written message from my bestie who nominated me, together with all the gorgeous gifts. It really means a lot to be recognised like this. I’m so grateful and so happy to receive this. Thank you to Smile for ME, your kindness is heartfelt, and to my amazing Bestie who nominated me”
“Thank you so much for Dylan and Verity’s beautiful gifts. They were really surprised and so happy to receive them. I really really appreciate what you do. Thank you xx”
“Thank you so much for the amazing Bear Hug gifts for my husband, who cares for 3 of us. The box was a big surprise and made his day, he loved the contents. It really is appreciated”
A special thank you to BearHugs for helping us to send Smiles to some amazing carers again this year. Since 2018 for our Carers Week special event Smiles we’ve chosen to partner with BearHugs and they’ve sent their wonderful Hugs to our Smiles nominees.
BearHugs is a brilliant company which sells personalised postal gift hampers in a signature box which opens to reveal two outstretched paws and a ‘Consider this a BearHug’ message. Founded by Faye, a chronic illness sufferer, they spread kindness through a thoughtful hug. For every 50 Bear Hugs boxes sold, they send a special personalised gift box to someone affected by chronic illness or disability through their Hug Nominations. We love working with them and being able to support the wonderful work they do whilst they help us to acknowledge and thank carers of ME sufferers.
Thank you Faye, Jared and BearHugs for your help in creating smiles.
Carer appreciation
During Carers Week we asked on social media for you to share your carer appreciation so we could help spread the love and thanks for some wonderful carers. On behalf of the sufferers not well enough to say it, thank you carers for all you do. 
Smiles
Last month our 2000th Smile was posted. A special thank you to everyone who has made this possible. Your support means more than words can say. We would not be able to do what we do without the kindness and generosity you show us. Thank you so very much for helping us send 2000 Smiles. We’re looking forward to sending many more. 
Share a story
This month’s share a story is by Farah Leah Summers. Thank you Farah for sharing your experience of ME through a poem titled ‘Am I still me living with M.E’.
Am I still me living with M.E by Farah Leah Summers
Am I still me living with M.E
When the waves of pain
Wash over pretty relentlessly
When I struggle to walk
Which used to be
A source of joy & peace to me
Am I still me living with M.E
Am I still me living with M.E
I struggle to find
The words I want
(& mix them up when brain fog clouds me)
Noises are often way too loud Including music
Which is a huge passion of mine
And an integral part of me
But I don’t feel like me with M.E
Am I still me living with M.E
It’s friend vertigo has me swaying
Like I’ve partaken of a Jim Beam
Or perhaps a Jack Daniels
As that’s definitely cruelty free
But I don’t drink alcohol
It’s a no-go zone
It compounds things (Unnecessarily)
Am I still me living with M.E
Am I still me living with M.E
I get so exhausted after doing
The simplest of things
This came on after a different
Inflammatory ‘health challenge’
And they ran the gambit of tests
To find out
Why my body had decided
It could no longer manage
Am I still me living with M.E
Am I still me living with M.E
Also known as Chronic fatigue
Which is a misleading name
As that’s just one symptom
(& one facet of the condition)
Part of a much bigger whole
There’s so much about
This ‘health challenge’
They still don’t know
I’m a different me with M.E
Am I still me living with M.E
My body often won’t cooperate
Even though I try & take it steady
And I do my best to ‘pace’
It feels much older than its years
And is often overcome
This ‘friend’ has been with me
Since the age of 31
It was caused by trauma & DV
I guess I have to acknowledge
However painfully
I’m a different me with M.E
Am I still me living with M.E
I’m a fraction of the active person
I used to be (Physically)
I can no longer abseil
Down buildings or do walks
Or runs for charity
The endless pain & inability
Is exhausting & confronting
To say the least
Not quite me living with M.E
Am I still me living with M.E
It’ was originally called Yuppie flu’
And is still not taken seriously
But to give you an idea
of both its severity & gravity
Quality of life is less than those
Undergoing chemo or living
With end stage HIV
So although misunderstood
It needs to be treated respectfully
A frustrated me living with M.E
Am I still me living with M.E
At times I feel angry
With my body
It rarely cooperates with me
But I’m more than just a body
There’s a soul inside of me
So although I’m very changed
My core essence remains
I’m still me albeit
Not quite the same
Living with M.E
Fundraising
Still ME! (not M.E)
A big thank you to Dani who wrote and recorded her song ’Still ME! (not M.E)’ raising money for Smile For ME and other ME charities. Thank you for your kind donation and for helping make a difference.
“This song was written to describe some of the feelings and experiences people with ME may have. From physical sensations of fatigue, pain, brain fog, through to frustrations about advice people give and judgement from others.
The last chorus contains the phrase ‘we’re not missing’ which expresses that even though we may have a chronic debilitating illness, we are still here and still exist.
I am hopeful that this track will resonate in a ‘heard’ way with people who experience some of the symptoms of ME and Fibromyalgia as well as supporting those who do not have the condition, to become more aware of the experiences and feelings related to the condition.” 
Still ME! (not M.E): https://danibetts.bandcamp.com/track/still-me-not-m-e
Also available on YouTube, Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Music and others.
Donate to Smile For ME: https://www.justgiving.com/page/dani-betts-4
Swansea Half Marathon
A special thank you to Helen and Ben who ran the Swansea Half Marathon, for their friend Becca, raising a brilliant £405 for Smile For ME. Congratulations on running personal bests and thank you for helping fund more Smiles. We are really grateful to you. 
Smile of the month
What’s made you smile this month? Each month we ask this question on social media and we love hearing the responses. We hope by sharing some of your smiles it can help others to find a smile too or if you are struggling it helps be a reminder that you are not alone. 
Thank you’s
It means a lot to receive the generosity from those who kindly supported us this month. Without you we wouldn’t be able to continue sending Smiles to ME sufferers and their carers so we can’t thank you enough.