ME/CFS is a complex and potentially devastating chronic illness affecting multiple body systems/organs including the brain and central nervous system. The most common symptoms are severe, persistent and incapacitating physical and mental fatigue/exhaustion, sleep dysfunction, widespread and intense muscular/joint pain, and impaired cognitive function, concentration and short-term memory. A distinctive feature of the illness is post-exertional malaise/fatigue and a worsening of symptoms following even minimal or trivial physical/mental exertion. Sufferers experience a highly individualized and variable constellation of symptoms that can fluctuate markedly in severity from day to day and even within any 24 hour period. Many sufferers are completely bed-bound, and are desperately in need of support.

Despite the severity of the disease, the illness is still very poorly funded, and patients still have enormous struggles finding adequate support and care through our healthcare and welfare systems, but much of this struggle for support goes unseen by our policymakers and the wider community.

The May12th project seeks to raise awareness of the impact of the illness through a number of initiates, including public gatherings of the patient community across Australia and by illuminating dozens of public landmarks in blue - the colour of ME/CFS.