A HEARTWARMING response from the South East community saw over 50 people attend a special evening at the Main Corner to raise money for the Millions Missing Campaign, which supports people with chronic fatigue syndrome.
The evening featured a screening of award-winning documentary “Unrest”, which gives a first-person account of living with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME).
Tessa Deak, an 18-year-old local woman living with ME, was one of the hosts for the evening and delivered an emotional speech about her own experiences.
Her mother Fiona Pulford was proud of the way her daughter opened-up and spoke to the crowd.
“She is a young woman who has never been one to seek the spotlight and this definitely pushed her beyond her comfort zone,” Ms Pulford said.
“To see her share her story made me extremely proud because she is taking on the mission and being the voice for others who are living with ME.”
Ms Pulford said the event was an important step to promote ME in the region and highlight the difficult future that people who are living with the illness face.
“It is extremely poorly funded and there are a lot more sufferers than some of the other comparable illnesses that receive much more funding,” she said.
Raising more than $1000 on Thursday evening, Ms Pulford said it was a credit to how the Limestone Coast community rallied together.
The screening was an eye-opener for those in attendance as confronting scenes in the film challenged the emotions of the audience.
“It is difficult and emotional to watch because it really does show how people grapple with the illness,” Ms Pulford said.
“There were tears in the audience, which was expected, however fortunately the film does show a light at the end of the tunnel.”
Following the success of the event, Ms Pulford hoped to create a group for people in the region living with ME.
“We are hoping to put together a Facebook support group for people to join,” Ms Pulford said.
“Hopefully that will encourage people to come forward to a place where they will not be judged and talk about their challenges.”
Contact Tessa on tadeak@hotmail.com or Fiona on info@fionapthefamilycoach.com to register interest in forming a support group.
