Parents-in-chief of “Team Eliza” • Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science
When your daughter’s post-viral illness turns into severe ME, what do you do if “the cavalry isn’t coming”? For Emerita Professor Ros Gleadow FAA (plant biologist, Monash) and Emeritus Professor Andy Gleadow AO (geologist, Uni Melbourne) the answer was simple: switch their world-class research instincts to patient advocacy, read every paper they could find, and fight for the tests and treatments still missing in Australia.
“In our family, we assumed the medical profession help would come – but it took years to realise that the cavalry wasn’t coming. We simply don’t have time to wait.”
In this candid conversation the Gleadows cover:
- life on “Team Eliza” – from bedside admin to crowdfunding micro-clot testing in Europe
- why they mask up and treat clean air as non-negotiable support
- the emerging science that excites them, and the paradigm shift young researchers are driving
- practical, science-backed advice for parents and partners who feel helpless
“In every other medical condition we’ve encountered personally, there is provision of information about what to expect, what is understood about the condition, what the families need to know to support the patient – and yet this doesn’t happen with ME. It is simply not good enough that this information is not made available to doctors. Education of GPs and advice to families is critical.”
Whether you’re a caregiver, clinician or researcher, Ros and Andy’s blend of tough love, optimism and hard data will leave you fired-up for change.
🎧 Listen now — and share with anyone who still thinks ME/CFS lacks evidence.
We are delighted to share Emerge Australia Ambassador Bloom with her rendition of John Lennon’s Imagine to open and close our podcasts.
I found this podcast very interesting and so did my husband. Hearing the thoughts of care givers who have researched the condition so thoroughly was insightful. I have had me/cfs for 40 years but I managed it and got on with life including working part time. However this year I have been in a very bad way including brain fog which up until now I only had momentarily. At the moment I have no relief and am finding it very hard to live with. I am not the person I used to be! My husband finds it difficult as well. We related to the comments about how conversations can be so tiring. We are both retired and are 80. Have not been able to get away for a break as I can’t handle the preparations. I know we would benefit from a change. Hearing the professors has given me inspiration to do something. At least our children were school-aged and very helpful when I was unwell. I was also fortunate to have a doctor who diagnosed it and gave me lots of helpful information at a time when it was unrecognised by some.
We have since moved from the area and I have changed my activities to my detriment. These podcasts are very helpful.