A local mother is speaking out about the impact ME is having on her daughter.
Myalgic encephalomyelitis also known as chronic fatigue syndrome, is a long-term condition that can affect different parts of the body, with the most common symptom being extreme tiredness.
In November 2022, Shirley McCreery's daughter Sarah became ill with a typical virus.
Shirley expected Sarah to bounce back from the illness, but when she didn't it led into a year of different tests, A&E visits and paediatricians.
The Castleblayney family found it difficult to get answers about why Sarah was feeling this way, until a proper diagnosis of ME in May 2024.
Speaking on the Joe Finnegan show this morning, Shirley talked about the lack of understanding of the condition.
"We find the medical professionals don't have very good understanding about ME. There's still a lot of that old kind of thing of just push yourself through it and you'll be fine and it was as we, that was what we faced for the first year and a half and we did push her and she was getting worse and worse and it was getting to the point where she was really, really ill and we didn't know what to do then with her. So that's what's important for people to understand what ME is and what not to do basically, to not push and not try to push your way through it."
