Media: Sample Letter

Dear [Name of Reporter]:

I am writing to ask you to consider covering chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome ( CFIDS), a very real medical condition that is severely underdiagnosed and misunderstood. CFIDS affects more than 800,000 American men, women and children, including individuals in our community.

Because of the name of this disease, many people mistake CFIDS simply for fatigue or chronic fatigue. Nearly everyone has been fatigued at some point in time, but comparing general tiredness to chronic fatigue syndrome is like comparing a wind gust to a hurricane. The symptoms of CFIDS include incapacitating fatigue (profound exhaustion and poor stamina), muscle and joint pain, information processing and concentration problems and numerous other symptoms. While no one has yet fully defined what causes CFIDS, scientists have learned that it is a complex disorder that affects many of the body’s systems, including the brain and immune system.

Less than 15 percent of those with CFIDS have been diagnosed. The other more than 85 percent remain ill with little or no medical care for their illness. In a  survey fielded to over 8,100 medical professionals and researchers from a variety of disciplines, 77 percent of respondents feel that the amount of professional education about CFIDS is not adequate and that more is needed. Eighty-seven percent indicated that more funding for CFIDS research is needed. I believe that people in our community would be interested to learn about CFIDS—both to help them understand the difference between ordinary fatigue and CFIDS and to help those who suffer from it but have yet to be diagnosed.

The CFIDS Association of America has a toll-free number (800-442-3437) and a Web site (www.cfids.org) that you can include to give readers a way to request free information about CFIDS. You can also call the Association’s media contact line at 704-364-0466 for more information, to request a media kit or to arrange interviews with other CFIDS patients in our community.

I would like to help you in any way I can with this project. Please contact me if you have any questions. I look forward to hearing from you and to helping you create an informative feature about CFIDS.

Sincerely,
[Your name]
CFIDS patient and advocate
[City, State]