Governor Gretchen Whitmer is a lifelong Michigander. She is a lawyer, an educator, former prosecutor, State Representative and Senator. She was the first woman to lead a Senate caucus. But the most important title she boasts is MOM. Inspired by her family, she’s devoted her life to building a stronger Michigan for everyone.
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May 12, 2019
WHEREAS, Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), also known as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), is a severe neuroimmune disease characterized by overwhelming exhaustion, cognitive problems, pain, post-exertional relapse, immune disorders, headaches, cardiac symptoms, dizziness, and balance problems. This leaves many ME patients homebound or bedridden for years at a time with as many as 75 percent are unable to work; and,
WHEREAS, patients struggle to access appropriate medical care and rarely recover due to a lack of treatments and low rates of diagnosis, resulting in loss of hope and thus higher rates of suicide; and,
WHEREAS, ME afflicts 15 to 30 million worldwide, one million people throughout the United States, and more than 30 thousand in Michigan at an annual cost to our country of approximately $18-37 billion dollars per year in lost productivity and medical costs; and,
WHEREAS, awareness of ME should lead to increased funding for research and result in better medical care with more accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatments;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan, do hereby proclaim May 12, 2019 as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Awareness Day in Michigan.