Support Brayden in His Fight Against Severe ME CFS

In early 2024, Brayden—known to his friends as “Finch”—was juggling life as a dad to newborn Teddy, chasing after his energetic two-year-old Poppie, working as a clinical psychologist, and playing sport with his mates.

In July, he caught a virus. What started as post-viral fatigue led to reduced work hours, but instead of improving, his condition worsened. By September, he was diagnosed with ME/CFS, a complex and chronic neuroimmune condition that affects energy production, the brain and nervous system, heart, muscles, and gut. After leaving the GP, a simple 45-minute trip to pick up a prescription and buy a heart rate monitor triggered a severe crash, leaving him bedbound in a darkened room ever since.

Brayden’s Daily Reality

• Only gets out of bed a few times a day to use the bathroom.

• Can only see Poppie for 30 minutes a day and Teddy even less. He spends just an hour each evening with wife Alice.

• Only tolerates eating chicken breast and rice, four times a day. He has lost 12kg.

• Unable to tolerate TV, music, podcasts, or phone calls. He can manage just a few hours on his phone each day.

• Any attempt to push beyond his extreme limitations results in a drastic worsening of symptoms for days or weeks.

There is no cure for ME/CFS. Treatment is focussed on improving symptoms and is trial and error, and some interventions can make things worse. Brayden’s prognosis is uncertain—some people see improvements, some don’t, and some get worse. Full recovery is extremely rare.

Meanwhile, Alice has been thrown into the role of sole breadwinner, single mother, and carer for Brayden. Their family is now relying on her single part-time income, and her contract ends in November.

How You Can Help

Donations will go towards:

• Medical expenses (appointments, tests, medications, aids)

• A wheelchair so he can attend any in-person medical appointments

• An air conditioner and air purifiers to improve Brayden’s environment

• A cleaner to reduce Alice’s workload

Any support, big or small, will make a world of difference. Thank you.