This year ME/CFS Awareness Week was recognised from Monday 8 May – Sunday 14 May, with International ME/CFS Awareness Day held on Friday 12 May.
The theme for this year’s awareness week was “Don’t push harder. Stop. Rest. Pace”, Emerge Australia proudly aligned with the World ME Alliance in our World ME/CFS Awareness Day activations towards our mission.
Emerge Australia’s focus for this year, was a 1 hour symposium that was held on ME/CFS Awareness Day, Friday 12 May at 2pm (AEST). The symposium brought together a range of speakers both in a celebration of the community, information on empowering patients in a medical setting and continuing awareness around PEM utilising the communities voice and artwork.
During the Symposium Emerge Australia’s CEO Anne Wilson, brought news from the “front line” of advocacy and discussed how Emerge Australia is navigating this space within the community and with Federal and State Governments.
Emerge Australia’s Medical Director Dr Richard Schloeffel OAM, presented an update on GP engagement and talked about empowering you as consumers as agents in your own healthcare.
Emerge Australia’s nursing staff used the patient voice and artwork to bring awareness around post-exertional malaise through the theme of, Don’t push harder. Stop. Rest. Pace.
The symposium was opened and brought to a close by the music of one of Emerge Australia’s ambassadors Bloom.
You can view the slides from Dr Richard Schloeffel’s presentation “GP Engagement and empowering you in your healthcare” here
You can view the slides from “Don’t push harder, stop rest pace” by Emerge Australia’s nurses Laura Allen and Camille Williams here
Answers to the questions that were raised during the symposium can be found here
Emerge Australia’s Medical Director Dr Richard Schloffel OAM, also appeared on the conversation hour, hosted by Richelle Hunt, earlier on ME/CFS Awareness day, and spoke at length about ME/CFS and the factors involved in spreading the word. To listen, click the link below.
As part of ME/CFS Awareness Week, we asked you to share your experiences with ME/CFS. You may live with ME/CFS, be a carer or friend or just wanted to offer your support to the community.
We were overwhelmed by your support of adding posters to the poster gallery, with a total of 56, and sharing videos to be edited into a compilation which was aired during the symposium.
The video joined with others across the world, sharing collective experience of ME/CFS while contributing to critical advocacy and learning.
Thank you for your ongoing support of Emerge Australia, we hope you enjoyed the symposium on Friday 12 May at 2pm (AEST).
Due to overwhelming community request, Emerge Australia held a follow up Q&A with Dr Richard Schloeffel OAM, on Tuesday June 20 2023. Dr Richard Schloeffel and Emerge Australia CEO Anne Wilson answered some broad community questions as well as a couple posed on the day.
