Wow. Thank you, Tania. This is of huge help for me and MEandYou.
This is what crowdfunding is all about - and it makes me really proud to see that we are doing this together, with what we got.
Do you mind if I put this on the website for others to download and send to who they chose?
I am working on making badges with English info on them, so that forums, blogs etc that want to show their support can download them from
www.meyou.no and to their own site. I´ll let you know when, if you are interested.
I´ll try to make an article for Phoenix Rising as soon as possible
No I dont mind at all. The article is a lot of what you said anyway.. so consider it yours to use for your cause. My final article I put together to help you without all the other stuff which I sent to PR management hoping they'd use it but Mark said wasnt original enough is below (Ive no idea where its indenting parts more in places then I want it to do)
......................
"ME patient Maria Gjerpe, doctor of medicine, ME-patient for many years has started up a association called MEandYou to fundraise for the very important Dr Mella and Dr Fluge's phase 3 study of Rituxan in ME/CFS patients. If this study ends up vertifying the previous findings, it could bring better health to many ME/CFS patients and help to make many well again. All that is needed is just this one last study for vertification.
The goal of this initiative is to fundraise in 90 days Raise money through crowdfunding 7 million NOK/ 940436 EUR/1.2 million USD in 90 days to finance 140 ME-patients for third phase of the Rituxan study at Haukeland Hospital. Without funding this study can not go ahead.
MEandYou launched 10 days ago and has just handed over half a million NOK raised to Dr Mella and Dr Fluge for the study (enough to fund the drug for 10 of the ME/CFS study patients). Please spread the word about this study and the need for funding and this 90 day fundraising initiative. These findings could help so many if vertified by the phase 3 study.
Why only a "90 day" fundraising initative to raise money for the study?
Maria who is on Rituxan explains
As some of you will know, Rtx, has to be infused regularly to keep me healthy. 80% gets sick without it after a certain period of time, if we look at the data from the phase 2 study.
I am not going to get any more infusions after the next in a few days. I do not know how long I´m (going to be) well and healthy, as I am now.
To ensure that I am capable to handle this enormous job I´ve set out to do, together with you who wants to join in, and to be sure that I´m not going to be sick during the crowdfunding, I´ve decided that 3 months is the limit.
If I get as sick as I was before the Rtx, I will not be able to do this at all. I have been horizontal for average 21/hrs/day, and that might be the case in some months from now. This initiative is what I choose to use all my healthy time to do.
This is actually a battle against the clock. Use me now, the tools I´ve made, while I am healthy. I might not be here in 4 months.
I´ve always said that the healthy ones are obligated to help the sick when I was sick myself. Now it´s my turn.
I do my very best and getting knowledge and science in to this field has been my only goal in years. Now we can do this together. If we want to.
I made a URL that is easier to remember and to spread to your friends and relatives, if you want to invite them in to MEandYou.
http://www.meyou.no/donate/
One person cant achieve much but together we can.
links
Haukeland University Hospitals website on this and Maria's fundraising efforts
http://www.helse-bergen.no/aktuelt/nyheter/Sider/140-pasientar-7-millionar-kroner-90-dagar.aspx
http://mariasmetode.no/2013/03/140-pasienter-7-millioner-kroner-90-dager/ (scroll down for the English translation)