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Winter 2002

Association Debuts First CFIDS Public Service Announcement

The CFIDS Association of America has released the first public service announcement (PSA) on CFIDS for television, featuring U.S. Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher. The 30-second piece emphasizes that CFIDS is serious and can affect people of all races and walks of life. Satcher validates the illness, saying that “We may not know the cause…but the pain and suffering are real.”

Since 1995, CFIDS patients have been asking the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to fund and distribute a PSA on the illness. A PSA is a short message designed for radio, print or television that informs the general public about a particular issue and promotes positive actions, such as those encouraging better safety or health.

HHS agreed late last October to lend the use of their studio for the PSA, and video footage of Satcher and several local Washington, D.C. CFIDS patients was shot there. Unfortunately, shortly afterwards Dr. Satcher announced that he would be leaving office in February 2002, imposing a severe time limitation on production of the PSA. HHS did not provide money for production and distribution, but the CFIDS Association decided to fund the project.

Thanks to help from Jon Sterling, chairman of the Association’s Board of Directors and the guiding force behind the PSA, the Association’s public relations firm and a producer for a national news program who was willing to edit the video footage pro bono, the PSA was completed for release on time.

A media alert announcing the availability of the PSA on CFIDS has been sent to more than 500 television stations across the United States. Broadcast-ready tapes are also being mailed to a select group of reporters.

Patients are also invited to give the CFIDS Association names of television reporters or producers in their local area who have shown a previous interest in CFIDS, so that we can ensure they are notified about the PSA. Send your suggestions to rmbrehiho@cfids.org.

The PSA can be adapted into radio or print formats so that patients or support groups can distribute it in their local area. If you would like a copy of the PSA script to use in your own awareness efforts, please send an e-mail to lmoseley@cfids.org or call the Resource Line at 704-365-2343.

A version of the PSA is available for viewing on the Association’s Web page, www.cfids.org.