There are some charities you come across and instantly feel connected to, and Smile For ME was one of those for me.
As someone living with CFS/ME and Fibromyalgia, I know firsthand how much chronic illness can change the shape of your life. It affects your energy, your routines, your plans, your work, and sometimes even your sense of identity. For me, it is actually a huge part of how I ended up blogging and working for myself. I needed flexibility. I needed work that could bend around the bad days, the flare-ups, the brain fog, and the exhaustion rather than expecting me to push through like nothing was wrong.
That is one of the reasons this charity hit such a nerve with me.
Smile For ME is a UK charity that supports people affected by Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) by sending personalised gifts, called “Smiles,” to people living with ME and to carers too. It was founded in 2012 and is run by people who are themselves affected by ME, as sufferers, carers, and supporters, which I think says so much about the heart behind it.
Why small acts of kindness matter so much when you live with ME
When you live with ME, the world can get very small.
That might sound dramatic to someone who has never experienced it, but anyone with chronic fatigue syndrome, ME, or overlapping conditions like Fibromyalgia will understand exactly what I mean. Plans get cancelled. Socialising becomes harder. Work becomes harder. Even doing things you love can need careful pacing and recovery time.
That isolation is real.
So the idea behind Smile For ME feels incredibly powerful to me because it is built around something simple but deeply meaningful: sending a reminder that someone is thought of, seen, and not forgotten.
The charity’s “Smiles” are personalised presents chosen using the details in the nomination form, then wrapped and posted out with care. Their site explains that regular Smiles are lovingly wrapped in blue kraft paper with blue and white twine, which is such a sweet personal touch.
And honestly, when you are having a rough patch health-wise, something as small as happy post can mean far more than people realise.
A charity created from lived experience
One of the things I really respect about Smile For ME is that it did not come from a corporate boardroom or a PR campaign. It came from lived experience.
The charity shares that it began as “a little idea from my bed,” and has since grown to send thousands of Smiles to people affected by ME. As of late 2024, the charity said it had sent 1,738 Smiles, and the Smiles page now notes 1,968 Smiles sent thanks to support received so far.
That matters to me because when support is created by people who truly understand chronic illness, it tends to feel different. More thoughtful. More realistic. More compassionate.
And for people with ME, those details matter.
What Smile For ME actually does
Smile For ME sends personalised gifts to:
- people with ME
- carers of people with ME
They send regular monthly Smiles for most of the year, with special event Smiles in May and June. May is for Merryn’s Smile Day, and June focuses on Carers Week. The charity says these gifts are tailored to the individual recipient using the information provided when someone nominates them.
The average wait time listed on their nomination page is around three months, and repeat nominations may be considered after a year, although new nominations are prioritised.
I really appreciate that the support includes carers too, because chronic illness does not just affect one person. It ripples through households, families, partners, parents, and children.
Merryn’s Smile Day is especially moving
One of the most touching parts of Smile For ME’s work is Merryn’s Smile Day, held each year on 13 May in memory of Merryn Crofts, who died from Severe ME in 2017 just days after her 21st birthday. The event was created in 2019 with her family’s blessing.
These special Smiles are created specifically for people with Severe and Very Severe ME, and the charity explains that they are not wrapped in the usual way because opening gifts can be difficult for people that unwell. On the charity’s Merryn’s Smile Day page, they note that 267 Smiles have been sent in Merryn’s name.
That kind of practical understanding says everything, really. It is not just kindness for the sake of appearances. It is kindness designed around the real needs of the people receiving it.
Because I live with CFS/ME and Fibromyalgia, I know what it is like to have to build a different kind of life than the one you once expected.
For me, blogging and working for myself became that lifeline. It gave me flexibility. It gave me a way to work within my limits instead of constantly crashing from trying to meet someone else’s schedule. It let me create something meaningful even on days when energy was low and my body was not cooperating.
So when I see a charity like Smile For ME, I do not just see a nice idea. I see understanding. I see compassion. I see people reaching into that often invisible world of chronic illness and saying, “We haven’t forgotten you.”
Leave a Reply