Share a story

We raise awareness of ME through sharing personal accounts from ME sufferers and carers. If you would like to share your story please contact us: smileformecharity@gmail.com

Jennie Jacques

smileforme.org.uk/shareastoryjenniejacques (Shared November 2024)

Jennie JacquesBake4ME creator, shares a piece as she launches The Wicked Christmas Bake Off in support of Smile For ME.

Anna

smileforme.org.uk/shareastory-anna (Shared October 2024)

Anna shares her experience of living with ME through a poem

Elaine

smileforme.org.uk/shareastoryelaine (Shared September 2024)
Elaine writes about her experience with ME seeing the darkest and lightest it has to offer.

Severe ME

smileforme.org.uk/severeme (Reshared August 2024)
As 8th August marks Severe ME Understanding & Remembrance Day we wanted to reshare the stories relating to Severe ME.

Hertfordshire ME/CFS Support Group

smileforme.org.uk/shareastoryhertfordshiremecfssupportgroup (Shared July 2024)

Hertfordshire ME/CFS Support Group share their experiences of living with ME in a short film.

Mia

smileforme.org.uk/shareastorymia (Shared June 2024)

Mia shares her experience of being a young carer with a piece titled ‘My brother and me’

Clare and Amy

smileforme.org.uk/shareastoryclareandamy (Shared May 2024)

Merryn Crofts Mum, Clare and sister Amy share about Merryn’s experience of ME and NHS treatment in a video interview with Jennie Jacques. 

Michael

smileforme.org.uk/shareastorymichael (Shared April 2024)

Michael shares his experience of ME with a piece titled “Me, Myself and My ME”

Rebecca

smileforme.org.uk/shareastoryrebecca (Shared March 2024)

Rebecca writes about her experience of ME with a piece titled “I Have M.E., but it does not have me – finding happiness in books” 

Clare Norton

smileforme.org.uk/moreaboutmerryn (Shared February 2024)

Clare, the mother of Merryn Crofts, shares more of an insight into Merryn as we launch this year’s event in her name – Merryn’s Smile Day.

Ellie Mullis

smileforme.org.uk/shareastoryelliemullis (Shared January 2024)

Ellie writes about her experience of ME with a piece titled ‘Finding Me with M.E; my story so far’

Sarah Mozer

smileforme.org.uk/shareastorysarahmozer (Shared November 2023)

Sarah shares her experience of finding courage and hope within the darkness of severe chronic illness through writing a poetry book, The Words That Saved Me.  

Llinos

smileforme.org.uk/shareastoryllinos (Shared October 2023)

Llinos shares her experience of ME through the comfort her cat gives her during the good and bad days.

Laura

smileforme.org.uk/shareastorylaura (Shared August 2023)

Laura shares her experience of what it’s been like living her 20’s with Severe ME ahead of her 30th Birthday next month.

Sophia Mirza

smileforme.org.uk/shareastorysophiamirza (Originally written in May 2006, shared by Smile For ME August 2023)

Written by her mother, Críona Wilson, and shared on Sophia & M.E’s website: sophiaandme.org.uk. She shares Sophia’s story of ME and medical abuse which subsequently lead to her death at the age of 32.

Daniel Moore

smileforme.org.uk/shareastorydanielmoore (Shared July 2023)

Daniel shares his experience of starting a podcast about living with ME and chronic illness, creativity and making meaning with his friend Dov. Dan’s story with ME can be listened to on Post-Exertional Mayonnaise.

Claire Tripp

smileforme.org.uk/shareastoryclairetripp (Originally shared June 2019, reshared June 2023)

Claire Tripp shares her personal experience of being a parent carer, raising awareness of what it is like to be a carer of an ME sufferer for Carers Week.

Olivia Meads

smileforme.org.uk/shareastoryoliviameads (Shared May 2023)

Olivia raises awareness of ME, a neurological classified disease, and how at age 15 her life changed irrevocably. Sharing a snapshot of her symptoms and her wishes.

Merryn Crofts

smileforme.org.uk/shareastorymerryn (Originally shared August 2019, reshared May 2023)

Clare writes about her daughter Merryn, sharing what she was like and what she sadly endured during the horror of Profoundly Severe ME before passing away in 2017 just days after her 21st Birthday.

Jo Saxton

smileforme.org.uk/shareastoryjosaxton (Shared April 2023)

Jo shares her story of hope with her son going from being bed-ridden with fatigue to returning to secondary school to sit his GCSEs. Acknowledging the difficulties they’ve been through but giving hope that things can be better.

Veronica

smileforme.org.uk/shareastoryveronica (Shared March 2023)

Veronica shares her experience of ME, lessons she’s learnt with orthostatic intolerance and the implications of GET and CBT.

Dave

smileforme.org.uk/shareastorydave (Shared February 2023)

Dave lays his story out from ‘How it all began’, ‘The diagnosis’, ‘Prior experience with ME’ and ‘Plenty of time to reflect’ as he feels there is something important in sharing stories.

Katie

smileforme.org.uk/shareastorykatie (Shared November 2022)

Katie writes about ME having so many sides including severity and fluctuations and one of the rare positives being community.

Denise

smileforme.org.uk/shareastorydenise (Shared October 2022)

Denise shares her experience of ME from not being diagnosed, being misdiagnosed, to feeling fragmented.

Holly Moscrop

smileforme.org.uk/shareastoryhollymoscrop (Shared September 2022)

Holly writes about her experience of ME and what she wants to say when somebody asks the question what’s ME?

Debbie

smileforme.org.uk/shareastorydebbie (Shared August 2022)

Debbie shares a poem she wrote about Severe ME after receiving a Smile in Merryn’s name.

Anna

smileforme.org.uk/shareastoryanna (Shared July 2022)

Anna shares her story and acknowledges it’s okay to grieve for your old life.

Sharon

smileforme.org.uk/shareastorysharon (Shared June 2022)

Sharon shares her experience of caring for her daughter through their ME journey. 

Clare Norton

smileforme.org.uk/shareastorymerryn (Shared May 2022)

Clare, Merryn Crofts’ Mum, writes about Merryn who suffered with profoundly Severe ME. She shares their story and life before Merryn sadly passed away from Severe ME in 2017 just days after her 21st birthday.

Paul Mc Daid

smileforme.org.uk/shareastorypaul (Shared April 2022)

Paul writes honestly about his experience of ME specifically his very severe noise sensitivity sharing his reality with humour.

Lizzy Horn

smileforme.org.uk/shareastorylizzy (Shared March 2022)

Lizzy shares her experience of ME and hope. Hope being a strange and glorious thing, it can do much good but it can be painful too.

Helen Ashby

smileforme.org.uk/shareastoryhelenashby (Shared February 2022)

Helen shares her daughter’s experience of ME and how it began in a piece titled ‘When you know your child is physically ill but doctors say it’s all in her head’.

Sakara

smileforme.org.uk/shareastorysakara (Shared January 2022)

Sakara writes about her experience of ME sharing her memories and reflections through lyrics, alongside realities and hopes.

Hazel

smileforme.org.uk/shareastoryhazel (Shared November 2021)

Hazel explains her experience of ME and how the way she lives life is defined by the approach she took to life prior to becoming ill with ME soon after her 30th Birthday.

Roy

smileforme.org.uk/shareastoryroy (Shared October 2021)

Roy writes about his experience of ME through ‘The gathering storm’, ‘The cloud bursts’, ‘Summary and outlook’ and ‘Life under the weather’. 

Louise

smileforme.org.uk/shareastorylouise (Shared September 2021)

Louise shares her experience of ME in a piece titled ‘Photographs and Souvenirs

KT King

smileforme.org.uk/shareastoryktking (Shared August 2021)

KT writes about her experience of ME and how she turned to her life long dream of becoming an author.

Richard

smileforme.org.uk/shareastoryrichard (Shared June 2021)

Richard shares his experience of ME and how it affects his family as he cares for his wife who sufferers from ME.

Holly

smileforme.org.uk/shareastoryholly (Shared June 2021)

Holly shares her experience of being a young carer for her Mummy who sufferers from ME.

Alice

smileforme.org.uk/shareastoryalice (Shared June 2021)

Alice writes about her experience of being a young carer for her Mum who has ME.

Bill Clayton

smileforme.org.uk/shareastorybill (Shared May 2021)

A poem called Millions Missing by Bill Clayton, The York ME Community.

Lauren

smileforme.org.uk/shareastorylauren (Shared April 2021)

Lauren writes about her experience of ME sharing her tips on coping with missing out, asking for help, accepting the need of a wheelchair and understanding her condition.

Gill

smileforme.org.uk/shareastorygill (Shared March 2021)

Gill bravely opens up about her experience of ME. She shares how ME started for her and how she copes through the bad times and the better times.

Daniel

smileforme.org.uk/shareastorydaniel (Shared February 2021)

Daniel shares his story explaining how it took him years to get a diagnosis of ME and even longer to get help. He also shares how other diagnoses affect his life. He ends with a poem he wrote to remind others that they are seen and not forgotten.

Daisy Hannah

smileforme.org.uk/shareastorydaisy (Shared January 2021)

Daisy shares her thoughts and experience of ME and how acceptance is a learning curve and there is no right or wrong way to manage or cope with ME before or after diagnosis.

Gemma Everson

smileforme.org.uk/shareastorygemmaeverson (Shared November 2020)

Gemma writes about her family’s experience of ME and how she was inspired to write her children’s book ‘Supercharged Superhero’ after trying to explain to her young daughter why her Superhero Daddy was unable to do all of the things they had once enjoyed. Together, they learned to have fun together in different ways and slow down and appreciate the small things in life.

Clare

smileforme.org.uk/shareastoryclare (Shared September 2020)

Clare writes about her experience of ME particularly during the pandemic. She shares how living through COVID-19 has meant adjusting and accepting ME all over again.

Angela

smileforme.org.uk/shareastoryangela (Shared August 2020)

Angela shares her daughter’s experience with Severe ME from a Mother’s point of view to raise awareness for Severe ME Awareness Day. 

Laura

smileforme.org.uk/shareastorylaura (Shared August 2020)

Laura shares her experience of severe ME and the realities of how each and every day is a matter of survival and how much the little things can make a difference.

Kara

smileforme.org.uk/shareastorykara (Shared August 2020)

Kara shares her experience of severe ME and how writing, recording and releasing her album ‘It’s still ME’ helped her express and process all she has been through.

Sue Forrest

smileforme.org.uk/shareastorysueforrest (Shared June 2020)

Sue writes about her experience of being a carer to her daughter Lucie. Sharing the reality of life with a child with M.E how you have to fight, be strong, never take no for an answer and even on those days when you think the fight has left you, you have to dig deeper than ever before and fight some more.

Caz

smileforme.org.uk/shareastorycaz (Shared March 2020)

Caz writes about her experience of ‘The Reality of ME/CFS Exhaustion’ explaining what ME/CFS exhaustion and fatigue is not and what it really is. She shares how it’s okay to not be ok, it’s about having the courage to write your own story.

Pippa

smileforme.org.uk/shareastorypippa (Shared February 2020)

Pippa shares her story of experiencing an onslaught of debilitating pain and fatigue during her first year of university. She writes about adapting to life as a disabled student fighting her way through university.

Penny

smileforme.org.uk/shareastorypenny (Shared January 2020)

Penny writes about her setbacks and her strategies of how she approaches these in a light-hearted way. A reminder you are not alone in your experience.

Hannah Wallace

smileforme.org,uk/shareastoryhannahwallace (Shared November 2019)

Hannah writes about her personal experience with ME and hopes it inspires others to find grace and choose life even if things don’t turn out as you would imagine.

Emily Bailey

smileforme.org.uk/shareastoryemilybailey (Shared September 2019)

Emily Bailey shares her experience of fluctuating ME and a story of hope. Hope for those needing to hear that something, anything, might get better. Her story is one of improvement, of adapting and stabilising.

Clare Norton

smileforme.org.uk/shareastoryclarenorton (Shared August 2019)

Clare Norton writes about her daughter Merryn. Sharing the horror of Profoundly Severe ME and what Merryn endured as she sadly lost her life. She dedicated this to Jen Chittick who also sadly lost her life to severe ME.

Holly

smileforme.org.uk/shareastoryhollyhealing (Shared July 2019)

Holly writes about her personal experience with ME sharing her healing journey of how she’s become mentally strong, confident and proud of how far she has come.

Claire Tripp

smileforme.org.uk/shareastoryclairetripp (Shared June 2019)

Claire Tripp shares her personal experience of being a carer to her teenage daughter who sufferers from ME to raise awareness of ME carers during National Carers Week.

Evie

smileforme.org.uk/shareastoryevie (Shared January 2019)

‘It doesn’t have to be a bad day, it can just be a bad moment’ by Mindfully Evie