October 2025
Hello and welcome to October’s newsletter. Hope you have had the best month possible.
October was a special month for us as we celebrated our 13th Birthday. We can’t thank you enough for all your support over the years because without you it would not be possible to continue sending Smiles to ME sufferers and carers. Thank you to those who have donated, fundraised, shown support, nominated someone for a Smile or left us a kind message, it means more than words can say.
Being affected by ME ourselves our Birthday is special to us as it’s a reminder of what we have achieved in the midst of our lives changing. Smile For ME started off as a little idea with hopes to make a few people smile and we have now sent over 1,900 Smiles to people affected by ME. Each Smile individually chosen, wrapped and posted with love to help remind those who are often isolated from the world that they are thought of and not alone.
We love running Smile For ME and are so thankful to everyone who has helped make it possible. Love Team Smile – Alice, Clive, Wendy and Jacqueline. 
Smiles
10 Smiles were sent to both ME sufferers and carers of all ages this month. All chosen and personalised to fit each person’s likes and interests. Some of the items sent this month included a plant, candles, pamper kits, bath bombs, face masks, blankets, eye mask, socks, sun catcher, cuddly toy, necklace, activity book, notebook, pens, lego bag, mugs, plant pot, tote bag sweets and chocolates. 
Special touch
In our Smiles we include a token item donated by someone affected by ME as a special touch from our community. Included in the Smiles sent this month was a handmade angel by Jo. Thank you Jo for your kind support. 
“I wanted to say a massive thank you for sending me a box of beautiful things whilst I’ve been unwell with ME/CFS for the past year with no sign of an end yet. This illness has stripped away my career, some relationships, days out and holidays with my daughter, some independence and the ability to keep building a life I worked really hard to get. Smile has made me remember I’m not on my own and I’m really grateful to you for thinking of me. I absolutely adore the gifts you have sent me and can’t wait to set up a nicer snuggly space. Thank you xxxx”
“Thank you so much for the amazing gift box you sent my mum. She was so overwhelmed and emotional when she opened the box and she is really looking forward to the relaxing activities and tasty treats!”
“Hi there team! My daughter nominated me for a smile and I am so grateful, you have cheered up a particularly difficult day and I’m so so appreciative to you and her x thank you for the work you do and I will continue to support your work however possible. Your choices were absolutely perfect”
Share a story
This month’s share a story is by Jennifer Seidel. Thank you Jennifer for sharing your experiences of ME in a piece titled Moving.
Moving.
Most people don’t think much about moving. Moving your legs as you walk down the street, moving your arms as you reach for a glass from the shelf, moving your thumbs as you type out a message to a friend.
I never used to think much about moving either.
I suppose we’re always moving through time as well as space, often unaware of this movement, too. All things change in time, as they say, and time stops for no one.
But what I would have given to have stopped moving temporally, so that I might have maintained my ability to move physically for just a bit longer.
Time does move on though, like it or not. These legs that once carried me across the Andes and up the Alps and even allowed me to follow the footsteps of wild elephants, they no longer let me move as I once did. These arms that once carried bags across cities, lifted children in the air, moved fluidly across the expanse of a piano’s keys over and over again, they no longer freely flow through space.
Even my mind does not move as it once did. It was once a well-oiled machine, remembering, connecting, neurons firing just so to allow for conversations, creativity, solving problems as fast as lightning. Now, my brain moves like a rickety old cart with a broken wheel. I can still get places with it, more often than not, but I stumble along the way, and take twice as long to arrive.
Where once I moved freely across a city and throughout a day, I now must pause to calculate. I now must consider with careful foresight just how many moves I might make before I hit my ever-lowering limit.
And the cruel trick that my body plays with me is that it does not let me know when I’ve gone too far. It waits a day and then hands me the bill. I only ever know that I should not have moved as much as I did the day before. I never know which movement will turn out to have been the last of my capacity. And because of this, I now assume, I fear, that any movement I make might be the one that was too much.
So now, I barely move at all.
It’s a curious thing, to think about your body’s movements so carefully, so frequently. A walk in the park should be like the beating of your heart. You needn’t think about how long it will go, or whether you’ve asked for one beat too many.
But perhaps if I’m patient, just as time and my body conspired to move me into this reduced state of being that I now inhabit, so too will they agree to move me through this state and into another. One where I might move my legs across mountains once more.
One where I don’t even think about moving.
Fundraising
Andy’s Great South Run
On the 19th October Andy ran the Great South Run raising an amazing £265 for us through his Just Giving page. His company is kindly matching the amount taking it to £530. A big thank you to Andy and everyone who supported in helping to make a difference to us.
BED For Severe ME
ME Foggy Dog’s, annual awareness fundraiser for Severe ME took place on 29th October. People wore pyjamas and shared photos to show solidarity in raising awareness of Severe ME. 
I wore my favourite pyjamas in support and thought of those suffering from Severe ME and also those caring for loved ones affected. 
Thank you to those who joined in and shared photos of your pyjamas. The people that used the hashtag #BedForSevereME with their post were entered into Sally’s draw to win sleepwear/pyjamas, generously donated by Tesco. Thank you Tesco and congratulations to the winner. 
A brilliant £578 combined total was raised with £228 for Smile For ME. Sally is keeping the Just Giving pages open for another week so there is still time to donate if you wish: www.justgiving.com/page/bedsmileforme 
Thank you Sally and everyone who joined in and showed support. The money will help fund more Smiles for ME sufferers and their carers, including those affected by Severe ME.
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. 
Thank you’s
A special thank you to everyone who has supported us this month and throughout the last 13 years. We say thank you each month and we really sincerely mean it. Without your kindness and generosity we would not be able to continue sending Smiles to those affected by ME so your support means such a lot.
Thank you for bringing some magic to all of our lives! 🙂