MTV Act: Canary in a Coal Mine, A film about life with M.E., the most prevalent and devastating disease your doctor has never heard of

MTV Act:

What would it be like to have a disease that makes it so you can barely move and have a doctor suggest that it might be all in your head? The documentary “Canary in a Coal Mine” shows this scary and true scenario in the lives of different people suffering from myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Jennifer was a PhD student at Harvard who suddenly wasn’t able to write her own name. She continued to get worse, to the point she couldn’t even sit up. What was the problem?

“The disease, myalgic encephalomyelitis, was re-branded in the 1980s by the CDC as 'Chronic Fatigue Syndrome,' a name which became both a punchline and a Rorschach: a wastebasket of undiagnosed conditions hiding a very real disease,” says a writeup about “Canary in a Coal Mine.” “Scientists at the country's top institutions have found evidence of profound metabolic, neurological, and immunological dysfunction in patients with M.E.. However, since the disease is not taught in medical schools, doctors don't know how to recognize it, effectively denying healthcare to a million Americans.”

Because of how scary this is, and because of a need to spread awareness, Jennifer has made the documentary “Canary in a Coal Mine,” which stars her and other people who have myalgic encephalomyelitis. There’s a Kickstarter to fund it, and though they’ve reached their needed goal, they’re hoping to become the most supported doc on Kickstarter ever. Take action below to help!