If you’re able to, please push a little money our way!
We don’t need a lot. Health Rising is not a big operation – it consists of just two employees: Stavya, our tech guru (whose work is going to be highlighted very soon) and myself. With its in-depth reporting and the consistent stream of reporting, though, Health Rising occupies a unique place in the ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and long-COVID universes.
Providing as comprehensive and accurate information on the latest research and treatment findings as possible has been our goal since day one. That was the goal I had almost 2 decades ago when, rabid for information on these puzzling illnesses, I looked around the web and saw the same short, and to my mind, unilluminating reports again and again. I wanted to dig deeper and share my personal quest to understand these diseases with everyone free of charge. Phoenix Rising, and later Health Rising, was the result.
Almost 20 years later, there is more and more to report on every month and honestly, it’s getting hard to keep up. (On that note – we welcome guest bloggers who are willing to take deep dives into the research options, treatment options, books, their personal stories, etc. Please use the Contact Us link :))
Recent Posts
We informed the community of an $8 million mitochondrial trial.
Over the past month and a half – while virtually ignoring a wealth of new data on long COVID – Health Rising has published the following that:
- Informed the ME/CFS community of an extraordinary undertaking – an $8 million mitochondrial drug trial – that’s underway.
- Highlighted one of the most startling findings in memory – that natural killer cells – long the province of ME/CFS research – may be killing the small nerve fibers in fibromyalgia.
- Dug into the first drug (Mestinon) shown to move the needle on energy production during exercise in ME/CFS.
- Reported that the most potentially important study in the history of ME/CFS – Avindra Nath’s multi-week NIH study – appeared to be a success!
-
A successful Nath study could go a long way.
Brought news that a new type of herpesvirus (herpes simplex virus) that’s never been associated with ME/CFS or FM had been documented in FM patients’ guts.
- Alerted the ME/CFS community in the U.S. to a free 5-year study to assess whether they have antibodies to the coronavirus and tick-borne pathogens.
- Reported on an exciting breakthrough in Gulf War Illness – a disease with similar symptoms to ME/CFS/FM – and asked what it might mean for these diseases.
- Examined a promising mouse model under development for ME/CFS and probed it for the insights into energy production problems it may already be producing.
- Brought to light a new possible explanation for the exercise problems in long COVID and ME/CFS – a dramatic change in types of muscle fibers being produced.
While Health Rising is provided for free, producing it is not without cost. Health Rising is not a hobby website or something that Stavya or I do in our free time. It provides for my livelihood and supports Stavya as well. That’s why your contributions are essential to keeping HR on the web.
This again is why we love recurring donations. Small, medium, or large – they really add up over time. They’re a way to pretty painlessly make a big difference with Health Rising. Sign up for a $5 or $10 (or more) recurring monthly donation – you’ll probably hardly notice it, but that little bit – multiplied many times over – provides a vital source of revenue for Health Rising.
Or simply grace us with a one-time donation via Paypal or check. We love those too. Checkd made out to Health Rising are gratefully received at
Cort Johnson, 404 Boulder Hwy, PO Box 91245, Henderson, NV 89015.
This drive will last three weeks and we hope to raise $15,000.
A pleasure to donate in support of your work, Cort & Stavya. (Thank you for asking!) Your contribution to this community of patients, doctors & researchers cannot be overstated. We are so lucky to have you on/leading the team.
Thanks Tracey! Stavya is usually in the background making things work but we’re certainly going to showcase his work soon. Thanks again for your help!
Better than donating to ME Action who are just middle men, not actually doing anything much from reading their mission statement. It’s all gaslighting and virtue-signalling.
Health Rising has such a wealth of information, going back many years. It’s a friendly and welcoming place to gain an understanding of what’s happening in the ME/CFS world, in terms of research and advocacy etc., and to chat with others. I’m a bit behind atm but I’m catching up! I hope this donation drive goes well 🙂
Thanks Tracey – and thanks for your many thoughtful comments on the posts over the years 🙂
I was having a think about this because it can feel a bit daunting to make recurring donations. However if it’s broken down to the weekly cost, it may not seem so much.
I worked out that if someone donated $5 per month, then this works out at about $1.16 per week.
$10 per month, is around $2.31 per week. Considering Health Rising’s worth to so many people, I think that’s very good value!
Hi Cory, once again I express my thanks for your continued leadership in our ME/CFS space.
I hope my small donation spurs others on to give, we need you here doing what you do best!
Cheers,
Gail
Thanks Gail!
Thank you Cort for all that you do and the hope you give all of us afflicted with these illnesses. It’s what keeps me going until medical breakthroughs arrive. I urge everyone to please donate whatever your able to. I for one would be lost without Health Rising.
God bless,
Roger
Thanks Roger. I would probably be lost without it as well 🙂
Always a privilege to support the dedication and nonstop efforts at Health Rising. Amazing work and passion. Thank you Cort and Stavya on behalf of myself and our entire community.
Thanks Cynthia! You don’t get to see much of Stavya but he is behind the scenes working all the time. He’s been with Health Rising from its very inception. He’s been our rock!
Thanks to everyone who has supported us thus far. Thanks to you we had our best opening day of any drive ever! 🙂 AND we are over a third of the way to our goal. (That’s never happened this quickly, either.)
Thanks so much for your support 🙂
Thank you for the reminder. Your newsletter is full of so much research relevant to
so many of us struggling with these illnesses that can easily rule our lives at times.
I was diagnosed with fibrositis decades ago which morphed into fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, etc. Your work is deeply appreciated and has helped me live a somewhat normal life – having a family and getting my PhD in psychology. Information is the best support.
Check is forthcoming.
Congratulations on getting that PhD Joan. That is a real win.
Thanks for your nice words as well 🙂
Cort & Stayva, thank you for continuing to publish Health Rising. For me, it’s been a vital resource that I can trust and have trusted for many years. In regards to ME/CFS, Health Rising has provided me with: the latest in funding, the latest news in research, hope for a future without suffering and so much more. Your advocacy has made a difference to so many people, including myself. It’s an honor to support your work.
Thanks so much, Deb. I’m really so lucky to be able to support myself this way thanks to you and others. 🙂
Hi Cort,
Thanks so much for all you do! I would be happy to renew my monthly donation, but my credit card company has started charging $10 monthly cash advance fees when I use PayPal, so I’ve stopped using the service. Would it be possible to offer another way to pay monthly? Thanks!
Sorry to hear that Katie! There are two ways that I know of. One is direct electronic deposit from your bank to mine. Some people have their banks send checks regularly as well. I don’t know if there’s an extra cost to that.
Thanks again to everyone who has supported us – enabling the Drive to move at the speed of light – three days in we are now 2/3rds the way to our goal. 🙂
Cort, someone once suggested a ‘buy a coffee’ button.
Could Stavya make a button in shape of steaming coffee mug — or a line of up to 5 mugs—-that says Buy a 1$ US coffee for HR. Then a person could click on one to 5 cups at the end of each article you write, Cort.
( Of course money could be used for other than coffee, but the intent is there. )
Anyone else like this idea?
sunie
I like the idea of giving readers a chance to donate after we read an article that helps us. I try to send a donation when something hits home or is particularly useful but it would be nice to be able to do it easily at the end of the article. But the logistics might not be trivial for a two person shop.
Yes, it’s actually not hard to do that. I kind of waver between having a donate widget at the bottom of the blogs and giving everyone a break at times as well. So its there a good bit of the time but not all the time – except during these drives. 🙂
Thanks to the over 100 people who have donated who have gotten the summer drive off to a blistering start! We’re over 2/3rds the way to our goal 🙂
@Cort,
I think it’s not giving us a break by not having a picture of a coffee cup. It’s positive reinforcement for us, people can do it or leave it, but knowing it is always there as a visual reminder is good.
Because there are times we go after reading an article, gee, I can’t do much, but I can give $1.00 and it makes me feel good thinking that I can do that, and others might too.
So please add some coffee cup icons.
sunie
Thanks to the 199 people (thus far) who have supported Health Rising in surpassing our target allowing us to end the donation drive five days early!
Thanks so much for your support 🙂