More than 350 sportspeople, including Olympians Dina Asher-Smith and Tom Daley, have signed a letter to the prime minister urging him to meet former sprinter Beth Dobbin and commit to increased funding for ME research. Dobbin, 32, revealed in an interview with BBC Sport that she had been diagnosed with severe myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and now spends more than 22 hours a day in bed.
The Impact of ME
ME is a chronic, fluctuating disease with no known cure or specific treatment, causing symptoms such as sleep problems, cognitive issues, pain, and severe persistent fatigue that does not improve with rest. More than 400,000 people in the UK are estimated to have ME, though the true figure could exceed one million. The severity of the condition varies widely, ranging from individuals who are able to work or study to those who require round-the-clock care and tube feeding.
Dobbin wrote to the prime minister on 21 October but did not receive a response, prompting athletes across the sporting world to lend their support. “For many of my team-mates, I dropped off the face of the earth four years ago when I developed severe ME,” she said, as reported by BBC Sport. Among the 360 sporting figures who signed the letter are Everton manager David Moyes, United States women’s team coach Emma Hayes, former England defender Millie Bright, and 114 Olympians and Paralympians including Laura Muir, Eilish McColgan, and Adam Gemili.
Call for Fairer Research Funding
The letter calls on the prime minister to level the playing field for ME research funding compared to other illnesses. It highlights that between 2019 and 2024, UK government research funders committed just £6.6m for ME research, compared to £79.1m for Parkinson’s and £496.4m for dementia. Because biomedical research funding was previously almost non-existent, there are currently no approved treatments for the condition.
Dobbin chose to speak out despite knowing the interview could cause a brutal health deterioration. ME patients often rely on off-label medication to manage over 200 symptoms, including nausea, headaches, and brain fog. Simple stimuli like a loud sound or bright light can trigger a debilitating crash. Since her interview, Dobbin has experienced multiple bad days and can only summon the physical strength to take a bath once a week. She noted that she has received thousands of messages of support from around the world, including America, Canada, Australia, and Europe.
Government and Charity Responses
Karen Hargrave, co-founder of the charity ThereForME, stated that successive governments have failed people with ME and urged the prime minister to meet Beth and close the £15m funding gap for Sequence ME and Long Covid. A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson told BBC Sport that the government is determined to accelerate progress in understanding and treating the condition, noting support for cutting-edge research, including a first-of-its-kind genetic study and a clinical trial for potential new treatments.
