Gary Campion

Gary Campion from South Belfast, worked in PR and tour management in London for many years, working with many household names from the worlds of music, media and celebrity, before returning to Northern Ireland.
Gary developed ME following a serious equestrian accident and was diagnosed by a private doctor 2016. He went from someone who had gone to the gym five days a week and ran the Belfast marathon, to suffering from debilitating fatigue and pain.
 

One of his key symptoms is extreme pain in the brain - It is not a headache or migraine - it feels like his brain is on fire at times. He can’t concentrate and can have trouble finding words mid conversation - as someone who was a born communicator, it is extremely frustrating at times.
 

Other symptoms he experiences include bodily spasms, problems regulating body temperature and an inability to tolerate sensory inputs such as light and sound.
 

After the symptoms began to appear, doctors embarked on a lengthy diagnostic process, eliminating possibilities such as a Parkinsons, MS and fibromyalgia, but it was only after he contacted Hope 4ME Fibro NI founder Joan McParland that she put him in touch with ME expert Dr William Weir and the mystery illness was diagnosed.
 

ME remains a very misunderstood illness, and many doctors don't even believe in the condition. I’ve heard of people going to the doctor and their doctor just throwing antidepressants at them and telling them to go to the gym. As a result many sufferers have undergone ineffective treatments that may even have made the condition worse. With ME, the more you exercise, the worse your symptoms get to the point where the body can crash to the point of no return. I was lucky not to have undergone the full extent of graded exercise therapy, but it did put him in hospital for three weeks.

“I am very lucky to have a GP who has been extremely supportive throughout my M.E journey and I am thankful to now be able to work part time for a very understanding employer that accommodates my work around my illness.”
 

Without Joan, Dr Weir and Hope 4 ME and Fibro Northern Ireland I don’t know where or what shape I would have ended up in. It is for this reason I support the charity with regular fundraising, helping educate and inform the Dr’s and Nurses of the future and advocating for changes to healthcare for M.E and Fibro patients across Northern Ireland.  
If you or someone you know is suffering from or needs more information on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) Contact us