Still Sick, Still Fighting:
#MillionsMissing 2023!
#MillionsMissing 2023 will be held on May 12, 2023, at the Washington Monument in Washington, DC. The event will feature an art installation and a press conference.
#MEAction will host #MillionsMissing 2023 in partnership with Body Politic to demand bold, urgent governmental action for the millions of people living with myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME), Long COVID, and other infection-associated complex chronic diseases.
Our protest will feature rows of cots at the base of the National Monument, to symbolize the millions of Americans who have ME and Long COVID.
We will also livestream our press conference at 11am PT/2pm EST. Viewers will be able to watch on our social media channels.
The pandemic showed the public what people with ME already knew: that the government, our healthcare systems, and society at large have systematically deprioritized people with infection-associated chronic illnesses.
Today, millions more with Long COVID are facing these same challenges: poor medical care, no FDA-approved treatments, and little societal support. Those not recovering after COVID-19 infection represent a public health crisis, with consequences for all: and the problem is getting bigger every day.
Yet in the face of this collective devastation, the government isn’t stepping up. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have downplayed the pandemic, particularly the potential for long-term damage to people’s health. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is not responding urgently. Congress has not prioritized legislation that would improve the lives of people with Long COVID, ME, and other infection-associated illnesses.
There will be a live Press Conference at 11am/2pm for people to watch, share, and interact with on May 12th with the art installation behind the speakers.
UK and Scotland details below.
Internationally, most social media posts apply. We always encourage you to focus on what is most needed in your particular country/region.
WAYS TO GET INVOLVED
Join Us in DC
The beds will represent the millions of people with ME and Long COVID that need urgent access to care, support, and research. If you are local to DC and want to help by showing up, sharing photos, taking video, and wearing your MillionsMissing t-shirt, sign up here.
This event is open to the public. However, we will not be offering travel scholarships or a hotel block. With this in mind, we are really only encouraging local residents to attend.
Activism From Home
We want to BLOW up social media and get the attention of journalists. You will find our Activism From Home Toolkit and other social media resources here.
You can join from home by doing the following:
- Decorate a pillowcase for the demonstration
- Take the “Tell your story in 30 seconds” training and help us reach people through social media
- Use this social media toolkit for images and story prompts for the day
Donate! This art installation costs money to set up and every dollar donated will be matched– up to $25,000!
Storytelling Training
Kirsten Farrell from the Goodman Center is back to help us tell our stories…this time in 30 seconds so that we can get even more attention from press and social media!
Watch last year’s photography training for tips on taking the perfect selfie!
