The Big Shave 2013 : please support Amy and Sharon


"Hello! My name's Amy, I'm 30 years old and I live in Winchester (Hampshire). I have suffered from this horrid illness M.E. for over a decade and am mostly housebound and often bed bound. Every year I try and do something in my own little way to raise funds for charity, but when you have severe M.E. you are quite limited in what you can do!

  In the past I've done a sponsored silence and sponsored screen free weekend, as well as giving up Birthday and Christmas money to raise awareness and money for M.E. However, each time that I do, I am very aware that it is only those in the M.E. community or their immediate friends and family who donate. Very rarely does the news travel to the general public. I realised it was going to take something a bit bigger to do this and given that my body won’t allow me to bungee jump or parachute jump... sadly, I have made the bold or should I say bald decision to shave my hair off to raise money for charity!! Very drastic I know, especially as a female, however I hope this small sacrifice will show my dedication to the causes I hold dear, as well as the desperate longing to see my friends and myself recover from this horrific illness that is destroying our lives.


  I have been told it will take 2-3 years at least, for my hair to grow back! so it really is a sacrifice for me, but a totally worthy cause! I couldn't decide which two of my favourite charities I should donate to- Invest in ME are a charity planning to start the first M.E biomedical research and treatment centre in the U.K. Raising more funds will allow the bio-medical research to begin. The 25% M.E. Group are a support group for severe M.E. sufferers. Their advocacy service have given me incredible support and practical advice over this past year. My advocate has been my rock during desperate times. However sadly she is just one person and has a long waiting list. Raising more funds would allow the charity to expand the service. So I have decided to give you the option of choosing who you would like to donate to. When I shared my idea with the M.E community, I found several others who wanted to join in..."


 "Hi, my name is Sharon Hollier. I am in my 40's and live in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire. I first was diagnosed with M.E. in 2000 and in 2004 I managed my symptoms so well that I was able to work part time but started relapsing in 2008 and had to give up working in 2010. My teenage son had to give up school at the age of 12 because he also has M.E. He uses the internet on his computer to learn, research, play and communicate with his friends in their homes. 

 I have always wanted to do something crazy for an M.E. charity and was inspired by Jessie J, on Comic Relief, to have my head shaved like hers. I get quite emotional going to other charity events and thinking that my son is house bound with M.E. and there is little that could be done for him. 

 This is my chance to raise some money and awareness for an M.E. charity."


The Big Shave 2013 Press Release is available here :

 http://www.stonebird.co.uk/bigshave.pdf

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