The below is a press release from Fibromyalgia Action UK.
A couple of quick notes:
- I’ve added a few more links for some background info.
- There isn’t much information around the rates of fibromyalgia that occur in the transgender, nonbinary, and gender-diverse communities.
- Many providers treat fibromyalgia as a ‘garbage can’ diagnosis, AKA if they don’t know what’s wrong with you they may misdiagnose you with fibro if you have, say, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) but they aren’t familiar with it and don’t know what to look or test for. Because of that, there is a wide range of experiences with fibro.
All that said, check out the below and see what you can do to help!
FMAUK Gaming for Good, a gaming charity fundraiser, will wrap up on the 12th of September, coinciding with the end of Fibromyalgia Awareness Week UK. The fundraiser aims to raise £5,000 for Fibromyalgia awareness charity, Fibromyalgia Action UK (FMAUK).
What is Fibromyalgia?
Fibromyalgia is a debilitating condition which is thought to impact 1 in 20 people in the UK. FMAUK aims to improve the lives of people with Fibromyalgia by increasing awareness of the condition throughout the UK and elsewhere, as well as improving the awareness of, and access to, treatments.
Fibromyalgia can bring unpleasant and life-changing symptoms, such as:
- Fatigue and exhaustion
- Widespread body pain
- Non-refreshing sleep
- Cognitive disturbances and confusion
People who suffer from fibromyalgia can find that it has a huge impact on their lives, and they may not be able to do things that they once did before developing the condition. For unknown reasons Fibromyalgia impacts women more than it does men. The women/men ratio is around 7:1.
There is no cure for Fibromyalgia. Treatment is focused on managing the symptoms of the condition and includes things such as pain killers, anti-depressants and anti-epileptic medications, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and counselling.
Gaming for good
Gaming for Good is when individuals or teams raise money for good causes through playing video games. According to Third Sector, in the US, which is home to 178.7 million gamers, charitable fundraising has become an integral part of the gaming community. A livestreamed fundraiser run by GuardianCon, an annual gaming convention in Florida, raised $3.7m (£2.9m) for the St Jude Children’s Research Hospital before the convention even started.
Participants of the FMAUK Gaming for Good fundraiser have been invited to host their own gaming marathons or tournaments in September, encouraging friends and family to fundraise in teams, or alternatively, challenge themselves to a game for a set period of time.
Andrew Hardy, Gaming for Good fundraiser, comments:
“I chose to help FMA by raising money via Gaming for good as I find that gaming can really help distract me from pain. It’s something I believe can help many young people with fibromyalgia.
I will be raising money via Game streams on Twitch.tv as the website allows me to interact with people directly and I feel I can talk about Fibromyalgia and raise awareness and vital funds. I will keep supporting FMA UK via gaming and any other events I can do for as long as I am able to as I strongly believe that one day, we will find better treatments & a cure for Fibromyalgia.
If I can help people like myself get out of pain, then I have helped make the world a better place for Fibromyalgia sufferers. I will be dedicating my fundraiser to my mum, Lindsay, who inspires me every day to continue the fight against Fibromyalgia & to help FMA UK!”
FMAUK has seen previous success through gaming fundraisers. Frankie Lollia raised £1,795 in May 2020 through a gaming livestream on YouTube, smashing the original target of £500.
Fundraising will be supported by Give as You Live, an online innovative charity fundraising platform.
Des Quinn, FMAUK Chair, comments “People with fibromyalgia often try to find distraction and respite from their condition in things they enjoy. Online gaming is increasingly popular, so it seemed like the perfect way to raise money this Fibromyalgia Week. We’re incredibly proud to be part of such a supportive community. It’s wonderful to see people come together and spread the word.”
Annabelle Risdon, Director and Head of Partnerships at Give as You Live, adds “At Give as You Live, we’ve seen first-hand how difficult the past year or so has been for small charities like FMAUK. We’re incredibly happy to see money and awareness being raised for such a worthy cause.”
About FMAUK
Fibromyalgia Action UK is a registered charity run primarily by unpaid volunteers. The majority of volunteers are also fibromyalgia sufferers who work extremely hard, despite their condition, in order to forward the cause of fibromyalgia. FMAUK was established in order to provide information and support to sufferers and their families. In addition, the Charity provides medical information for professionals and operates a national helpline.
We aim to encourage NHS and other funding sources for new research projects. At present there is very little research being carried out in the UK and sufferers are told there is no cure. We hope that will be a statement of the past.
Mission Statement
To improve the lives of people with fibromyalgia by increasing awareness of the condition throughout the UK and elsewhere, and improve the awareness of, and access to, treatments for fibromyalgia.
Our Charity Registration number is: 1042582
Our HMRC Reference number is: available on request
Company Registration number is: SC492045