Press release
"The Hamburg Goldkehlchen" donate 50,000 Euros for research into ME/CFS
Hamburg 14. Juli 2024
The Hamburg Goldkehlchen gave two "traditional summer concerts" last weekend in Hamburg's Stadtpark. The legendary male choir from Hamburg sang for a good cause. The proceeds from Saturday's concert went to the ME/CFS Research Foundation, which funds research into the multisystemic disease ME/CFS.
In front of 5,000 fans: Goldkehlchen singers Seppo and Ingo Zamperoni hand over a donation of 50,000 euros to Jörg Heydecke from the ME/CFS Research Foundation. Photos: Daniel Kolakowski
Both concerts in Hamburg's Stadtpark were sold out within minutes. On Hamburg's most beautiful open-air meadow, the 70-voice male choir impressed its fans with a rousing concert. Once again, Die Hamburger Goldkehlchen showed their social commitment and their fans joined in. At the end of the evening, Ingo Zamperoni was able to hand over 50,000 euros to Jörg Heydecke, founder and managing director of the ME/CFS Research Foundation.
Goldkehlchen Seppo (Sebastian Orthmann) and Jörg Heydecke are affected: Both have a family member who is seriously ill with ME/CFS or Long Covid. In a video on Instagram, they call for donations together and explain their commitment. Choir member Sebastian Orthmann initiated the concert campaign: "We need many more research initiatives for this cruel disease so that ME/CFS can be diagnosed and treated. And we hope that our concert will raise awareness for all those affected."
Jörg Heydecke founded the ME/CFS Foundation 2022. The traditional Hamburg Goldkehlchen summer concert in aid of his foundation is doubly fortunate for him. He has long been a fan of the choir and is now delighted with the remarkable donation, which he plans to invest in an ongoing research project. Prof Dr Carmen Scheibenbogen has been researching ME/CFS at Charité Berlin for many years. In addition to ongoing projects, her team has been working on biomarkers and disease mechanisms since January 2024. This new project is mainly funded by the ME/CFS Research Foundation.
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Further information on ME/CFS, the foundation and current media coverage can be found in the press section of our website: https://mecfs-research.org/press/
Donation info: https://mecfs-research.org/spenden/
donation account: DE35 2004 0000 0628 5316 00 (Commerzbank)
ME/CFS Research Foundation is a non-profit limited liability company and fulfils the statutory requirements according to §§ 51, 59, 60 and 61 AO (German tax laws). It may issue donation receipts within the meaning of Section 10b of the German Income Tax Act.
About ME/CFS Research Foundation
Die ME/CFS Research Foundation fördert den Auf- und Ausbau biomedizinischer Forschung zum Krankheitsbild ME/CFS (Myalgische Enzephalomyelitis/Chronisches Fatigue-Syndrom). Aufgrund unzureichender Forschung gibt es bis heute keine ursächliche Therapie dieser häufigen komplexen Multisystem-Erkrankung. Es bedarf dringend weiterer Maßnahmen um den considerable global backlog in der ME/CFS-Forschung zu schließen und den Versorgungsnotstand entgegen wirken.
The foundation cooperates with ME/CFS patient organisations that have long been active in improving the situation. Initially focussing on Germany, this commitment will later be extended to other EU countries.
The foundation cooperates with ME/CFS patient organisations that have long been active in improving the situation. Initially focussing on Germany, this commitment will later be extended to other EU countries.
About ME/CFS (myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome) and long COVID:
ME/CFS (myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome) is a complex, severe disease of the nervous and immune system. ME/CFS is predominantly post-infectious, also as a result of COVID-19, and is the most severe form of post-COVID syndrome. ME/CFS sufferers have pronounced physical and cognitive symptoms, a very low quality of life and often a high degree of disability. 60 to 75 per cent of all sufferers are unable to work, many of whom are house or bed bound. The main symptom is severe exercise intolerance with worsening of symptoms after everyday activities (PEM = post-exertional malaise). The diagnosis of ME/CFS is complex due to the lack of a biomarker (cross-domain exclusion diagnostics), and there is currently no causal therapy. Adults with ME/CFS currently have little prospect of improvement and reintegration into working life. The prognosis is better for children and adolescents, but long-term school absences are still the rule. For most of those affected, participation in normal life with work, education, friends, sport, music, etc. is not possible.
In Deutschland waren bereits im Jahr 2021 über 500.000 Menschen von ME/CFS betroffen. International sind über 34 Millionen Menschen an ME/CFS erkrankt. In Folge der Pandemie rechnet man aktuell bereits mit mehr als 600.000 Betroffenen in Deutschland, da ein Teil der von Long COVID Betroffenen ME/CFS entwickelt.
The medical and psychosocial care available to sufferers is inadequate. There are often misdiagnoses and consequential damage as a result. Economic factors are also critical, as labour is lost due to illness and training is not started or completed.
Mehr Informationen unter: https://mecfs-research.org/was-ist-me-cfs/
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