Mother • Carer • Educator • Researcher • Sector Leader
Understanding Severe ME/CFS.
A wholehearted, hard-hitting and uplifting conversation with Dr Liz Branigan, mother, carer, passionate educator, researcher and sector leader.
As we approach Severe ME Day on 8 August, Emerge Australia is proud to present a heartfelt conversation between Anne Wilson and Dr Liz Branigan, a passionate educator, researcher, and advocate with a deeply personal connection to Severe ME/CFS.
There are systemic forces at play that make the invisibility in these conditions so very hard to overcome. We have had to fight for recognition and inclusion in data. We must have these conditions named and counted, to understand the burden of the disease and to therefore ensure the necessary response for essential services.
In this powerful episode, Liz shares her personal journey navigating the intense complexities of Severe ME/CFS, that have profoundly impacted her life and her family. She discusses the extreme challenges faced by her daughter Scarlett, who has been living with long COVID, ME/CFS, and POTS for years, and the broader issues surrounding awareness, social justice, and community support for those affected.
One of the many things I found astonishing and very frustrating, was that the drug that was needed for Scarlett when she contracted COVID again, was available albeit $1,200, but we just couldn’t access it. Drugs like these need to be on the PBS for people with ME/CFS.
Join us as Liz offers invaluable insights into the importance of education, advocacy, and community action in transforming the lives of individuals living with Severe ME/CFS. This gritty conversation, frequently poignant, aims to raise awareness, foster understanding, and inspire change – because everyone deserves recognition, care and support.
We are grateful for Emerge Australia’s Ambassador Bloom sharing her rendition of John Lennon’s Imagine to open and close our podcasts.
