Caroline Fricker

Clip from yesterday’s BBC Radio Wales: Robert’s son has lived with #MECFS since age 11. Today is #SevereME Day and his 33rd birthday. At his worst, he was too ill to speak, turn his body or his head — and had to be tube-fed. Most doctors have no idea it can be this severe.

William speaks about his daughter Alice, who has been bedridden in a dark room with Severe ME for 10 years. He questions the lack of curiosity around #MECFS and said: If people realised what these patients are actually going through maybe we would get some help #SevereMEDay

June 30 + 10… and with still no sign of the ME Delivery Plan, last Thursday I again asked the Leader of the House, @LucyMPowell, if she could help bring an end to the delay which is so disrespectful for #pwME. I’m grateful for her acknowledgement and commitment to follow up. 👍🏾

" “Margaret Williams” writes a historical record for the ME community: "A record of the influence of Prof Sir Simon Wessely on #ME patients" Please share widely #pwME forums.phoenixrising.me/threads/margar…

A new study published in the Journal of Virology has revealed that the Spike proteins from SARS-CoV -2 and other human coronaviruses directly activate mast cells, initiating a rapid inflammatory response through a well-defined intracellular signaling cascade. Significant Findings: ✅ Spike protein binding alone, independent of full viral infection, was sufficient to trigger mast cell degranulation. ✅ This activation occurred via an intracellular signaling pathway, which led to an influx of intracellular calcium. ✅ Elevated Ca²⁺ then triggered microtubule-dependent granule transport, resulting in mast cell degranulation and release of inflammatory cytokines like IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-8. ✅ The study confirmed that multiple coronaviruses (not just #SARSCoV2) could initiate this cascade via their spike. Clinical Relevance: This mechanism provides an explanation for the hyperinflammatory responses observed in acute COVIDー19 and the persistent inflammation seen in #longCOVID syndromes. Mast cell degranulation contributes to tissue injury in the lungs, brain, and airway epithelium—and may underlie common post-viral symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, dysautonomia, and histamine intolerance.. This study underscores what many clinicians are observing: #mastcellactivation plays a central role in COVID-related inflammation and long-haul symptoms. journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jv…

This is not just for Alice but all #pwME 💙 (2) #biomedicalresearch #pwME #severeME #ThereForME #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis #GoFundMe #sharePage" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener">justgiving.com/page/run21?utm…

Brilliant to see coverage today of our #FundThePlan campaign by @BBCSpotlight. Brilliant interview with Rosie, who is a carer to her sister Alice. “How can you deliver a plan with no money assigned to it?” Link in next post 👇

@wesstreeting and @AshleyDalton_MP, my younger sister & best friend has very severe #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis. She was fit, healthy and loved life. Now she is bedridden, tube fed, needs 24 hr care and is suffering so much. Please #FundThePlan and be #ThereForME

We’ve been so moved seeing the #FundThePlan videos over the past few weeks. Now, we want to get our call to #FundThePlan out far and wide. Here’s a little something we’ve put together for the campaign. We’d love your help making some noise with it 🙏

Dear @wesstreeting and @AshleyDalton_MP Please #FundThePlan I’ve lost my teenage years to ME and I don’t want to lose my twenties too. #ThereForME

@LongCovidKids @AshleyDalton_MP @covidinquiryuk

💙 LCA wholeheartedly supports @ThereForME #FundThePlan campaign. It is crucial that strong foundations are formed for #pwME and that means investment. One of our members explains below in our video contribution. Please see below for our statement & 🧵on the plan 1/8

Thank you @tessamunt Please will other MPs be #ThereForME and ask the government to #FundThePlan? My 17 yo daughter is tubefed and bedridden. Desperate for a breakthrough. #myalgicencephalomyelitis @UKParliament @UKLabour @LibDems @TheGreenParty #advocacy #allyship #solidarity

i'm a carer for my partner with very severe ME. we desperately and urgently need treatments and better care for people with ME, and the only way that's going to happen is with investment, so @wesstreeting @AshleyDalton_MP #FundThePlan #ThereForME @ThereForME_UK

We’re sharing this from Clare Norton - who has this message for @wesstreeting @AshleyDalton_MP & her MP @paulwaugh 👇 #FundThePlan

Dear @wesstreeting & @AshleyDalton_MP My 20yr old daughter @FrickerAlice has been bedridden for 9yrs with Very Severe ME. She hasn’t lived a life since she was 12yrs old. Please #FundThePlan @ThereForME_UK @JayneKirkham4 #SevereME #pwME

@wesstreeting @AshleyDalton_MP My teenage daughter has Very Severe #MyalgicEncephalomyelitis. She used to be fit and well, have a good education, hobbies, and a promising future. Now she is bedridden, tubefed and has lost 3 1/2 years so far...

Dear @wesstreeting & @AshleyDalton_MP I’m a carer to my husband James who has very severe ME. He used to be a civil servant. Now he can’t get out of bed or have a conversation. The Delivery Plan for ME is an opportunity to invest in our future. #FundThePlan

Because some patients with #longcovid are now 1) finding out they have had hypermobility symptoms pre-Covid which have gravely worsened after the virus 2) being diagnosed with Craniocervical Instability 3) display many of the seemingly unrelated symptoms listed by Dr. Klinge,