"Charlie is 19 years old. It is 2pm and he's still in bed.
The typical male, teenage bedroom, adorned with half-naked posters of Britney Spears and Liverpool Football Club memorabilia, has yet to see broad daylight.
Clothes are heaped in concealed corners and yesterday's lunch lies untouched by the side of the bed.
Charlie has no job, no prospects and little education; all he seems to do is sleep.
Why, you ask, doesn't his mother phone him from work to politely tell him to get up and do something? Why? Because she doesn't work either. She gave it up three years ago to devote her time to something more demanding; looking after her son.
Charlie is not idle, nor is he a layabout, he was not out drinking and clubbing until the early hours of the morning. He has a serious illness, one that even part of the medical profession refuse to accept.
Charlie has M.E.
If Charlie has a visible disability, would you be more inclined to believe he was ill? If I told you he had cancer would you be more likely to delve into your pockets and donate money to the relevant charities? If he had been given an HIV positive blood transfusion as a child would you be more sympathetic towards the taunting and ostracising he has endured?
I expect you answered 'yes' to all three, even if you failed to admit it.
Do not feel embarrassed, you are not alone in your ignorance, the M.E. sufferer has to face this kind of prejudice every day of his life."
Taken from Sleeping in the Shadows by Frances Pallett ©
