News & Events

This year’s federal advocacy meetings which are usually held at the US Capitol were cancelled due to the pandemic.  Advocacy activity was promoted online and WPI signed on in support of federal legislation, H.R. 7057, which seeks to authorize $60 million over the next four years, to expand NIH research into ME/CFS and post viral impact of COVID-19. The bill also empowers the department of health and Human Services (HHS) to provide for public awareness and medical education campaigns to increase understanding of ME/CFS.

This emerging medical need will be addressed through the institute’s medical program in support of both groups of patients.

Read the entire bill here.

This Giving Tuesday is the perfect time to join with the Whittemore Peterson Institute, WPI, in support of our life changing work.  We need your help to create and disseminate informative educational materials, for doctors and their patients, on behalf of those with ME/CFS and other post infectious diseases.

The lack of helpful information leaves these patients without the emotional and medical support that they need to endure.  During the pandemic we’ve seen how hard it is to be isolated from our normal lives due to Covid19.   Can you imagine how difficult it must be to remain isolated for years, like those with ME/CFS have done, unable work, go to school, or care for their families?

Isolation is only one of many painful consequences of living with a chronic, systemic disease.  When a patient is diagnosed with ME/CFS there is a surprising absence of medical and social support due to a great lack of accessible, expert information.  Despite decades of laboratory research most with ME/CFS leave their doctor’s offices without helpful information.  They and their families are on their own to try to figure out what to do next.

That is why it is critical that we raise the funds necessary to create and disseminate informational materials for patients, family members, and doctors that can be shared in medical, educational, and work related settings.

This Giving Tuesday, WPI will double your donation up to $10,000.00, so that we can begin creating educational pamphlets with our team of professionals and patients.  After they complete a vigorous review process, these pamphlets will be printed and delivered to hundreds of medical offices and other key institutions.

Please make your generous donations to WPI Educational Fund today and invite your friends to join you.  Your generous support will have a lasting impact on the lives of millions who can benefit from access to essential information.

We want to thank all of you who joined WPI and Workwell Foundation for our most recent webinar on Energy Management in Chronic Illness.

Your responses, while encouraging, also expressed a need for more information. Therefore, we will be hosting a second webinar on energy management on October 5, 2020 at 12:00 p.m. using patient’s real-life experiences.

Please join the conversation between Annette Whittemore and Staci Stevens as they discuss, in detail, helpful tips for managing your energy levels. Register at the link below and send your questions in advance to info@workwellfoundation.org or info@wpinstitute.org.

Note: The recorded webinar will be available at a later date, for those who are unable to watch at that time.

WPI is excited to host Staci Stevens, MA Physiology, Founder and Director of the Workwell Foundation.  Staci is an expert in managing post exertional malaise or PEM, a hallmark symptom of ME/CFS.  Staci knows from her own personal journey that a key to managing life with ME/CFS includes learning how to conserve the limited energy that is available to those suffering from this disease.  Over the years she has found very specific actions that one can take to help avoid relapses or “crashes” of the illness and its many disabling symptoms.

We hope that you will join us on September 22 at 12:00 PM (PST) for a 60 minute webinar, on Energy Management in Chronic Illness.

Note: The recorded webinar will be available at a later date, for those who are unable to watch at that time.

Dear Friends,

During this time of worldwide crisis, it is important that you know the WPI remains steadfast in our mission to find answers, provide support to those who are ill, and to educate the world about the devastating impact of neuro-immune diseases.

As responsible and concerned citizens, we must also protect one another from the ravages of coronavirus disease and the loss of life.

Finding effective solutions to very real emergencies requires calm and steadfast attention to the advice provided to all of us through the consensus of experts.

While we wait expectantly for solutions to COVID 19 we should do all we can to support those who are risking their own safety to keep essential services running smoothly. Thank you to the brave doctors, nurses, and frontline responders, and to all of you doing your part to protect the vulnerable.

Your well being is important to us. To better protect yourself and others, please remember to stay safe by wearing a mask, practicing social distancing, and washing your hands.

Sincerely,
Annette Whittemore

For more information please visit:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

https://nvhealthresponse.nv.gov/

https://med.unr.edu/coronavirus

Happy New Year,

Thank you for your support of the institute and its mission to conquer neuroimmune disease. While we continue our search for cures, we remain dedicated to caring for the neuroimmune community, through medical care, education, advocacy and outreach.

Because of your generosity, WPI continued to support a medical clinic for neuroimmune diseases in Nevada. This clinic is home to Belgian medical expert Dr. Kenny De Meirleir. After extensive review of his patient charts, Dr. De Meirleir was able to identify and publish a set of biological diagnostics to aid him in the creation of effective treatment protocols for patients at the clinic.

With your support WPI was able to create a patient centered medical fund, begin a collaborative educational initiative for doctors, and gained congressional support for greater research funding. We moved an experienced and growing neuroimmune research program into the University of Nevada’s research community and planned an educational support group to begin later this month.
WPI has created greater public awareness of chronic, complex diseases like ME/CFS, post treatment Lyme, and fibromyalgia through newsletters, emails and online social sites.

Your follows and shares on media sites helped neuroimmune patients around the world know that they are not alone in their fight for disease recognition and medical care.

We are so thankful for you and everything that you do to support our efforts to bring significant progress to this field of medicine.

We hope that 2020 brings you and your loved ones renewed health and greater happiness.

With deepest gratitude,

Annette Whittemore

A Year in Review

WPI is pleased to share some of our key achievements for 2019.

February: Raising awareness and funds through Nevada’s Big Give

Informational memes, created by the institute, provided public awareness of the institute and its mission to find answers for those who suffer from ME/CFS and other complex, systemic, diseases, in addition to raising funds for the work of the institute.

March: Open House at WPI

A large group of interested members of the community attended WPI’s informational open house at the Institute. An interview style discussion with researcher Vince Lombardi and Dr. Kenny De Meirleir followed the opening message by Annette Whittemore in which she described the impact of ME on patients and their families. Attendees were given a tour of the medical offices, laboratory, and executive offices before drinks and food, were served. We hope to make this a yearly event.

April: Lobby days

WPI successfully sought and acquired Nevada’s congressional support for CDC and NIH increase in research funding. We represented WPI at the first NIH national conference on ME/CFS in Bethesda, MD., giving us the opportunity to stay connected to other major leaders in this field while learning more about new research findings in ME/CFS.

May: Governor’s proclamation in support of ME/CFS awareness

WPI requested and received a copy of Governor Sisolak’s proclamation declaring May as ME/CFS Awareness Month. We are deeply grateful to our state leaders and Governor Sisolak for their outstanding commitment to those who are impacted by complex neuroimmune diseases.

Medical Research Breakthrough: Diagnostic markers

The Institute participated in a recently published retrospective study identifying specific biomarkers from hundreds of patient tests that were conducted as part of Dr. De Meirleir’s medical evaluations. These four blood tests, which were found to separate ME/CFS patients from controls with a high degree of specificity and sensitivity, are available to the medical community.

June: Collaborations

WPI began discussions with the Bateman Horne Center of Utah about future collaborations in an effort to expand medical educational programs within the United States. Plans have been made to offer medical lectures to the local hospitals and a university physician’s group. The feedback from these talks will provide direction for a future medical conference in Northern NV.

August: Current research discussions

We met with the Chair of Immunology at the University of Nevada, Reno, Dr. David Au Coin, to discuss current research in ME/CFS and Lyme disease. Dr. Au Coin is interested in creating a more precise test for early Lyme detection. He has agreed to meet periodically to discuss his research progress and to continue to mentor Dr. Lombardi in his ME/CFS research.

October: Medical conference planning

We began planning a medical conference for 2021 with the help of university personnel and the Medical School Dean. The conference will be held in conjunction with the Bateman Horne Center of Salt Lake City, Utah. The goal is to further educate family practitioners about the disease by pairing symptoms with the appropriate scientific research.

November: Patient support group

WPI began planning a new in-person and online support group for those with ME/CFS and their care-givers the hour long program will focus on various practical issues and will include a variety of guest speakers. This institute sponsored support group is set to begin in late January.

December: Fundraising campaign

WPI’s campaign to raise money for the Gift of Health for ME initiative was a great success. Thousands of dollars were donated and are already beginning to help first time patients who come to the institute to be seen by Dr. Kenny De Meirleir. WPI is also excited to welcome and lend financial support for a new employee of the medical practice within the Center at WPI. He will be the medical practice administrator and assistant to Dr. De Meirleir, making it possible for the doctor to expand his Nevada medical practice.