Benefit + Awareness Month

Raising voices for the chronic illness community

Ever since Opera Mariposa started, we’ve held an annual Benefit + Awareness event to raise funds and awareness for chronic neuro-immune diseases. Through the generosity of our community, we’re now in our 13th year – and in 2025, we honoured the International Awareness Month for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis and Fibromyalgia (ME & FM) with a month-long charity benefit from May 1-June 1!

100% of proceeds support the our fantastic charitable partner, the ME | FM Society of BC. Stay tuned for the announcement of our fundraising total, coming soon!

LEARN MORE

Access: All online. By donation and free. Includes captioning, lyrics and translations, and artwork image descriptions as applicable. Please enjoy the artistic offerings through the month at your own pace.

The ME | FM Society of BC is a registered Canadian charity working to support and advocate for people living with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), Long-Covid and/or Fibromyalgia (FM). They work to educate the healthcare community, government and public; provide information and resources for patients and their families; champion issues that impact the ME, Long-Covid and FM community; and promote state-of-the-art medical research, testing, diagnosis and treatments. They are also dedicated to building an inclusive, accessible organization that creates opportunities for the participation of patients, carers and family members at every level. | www.mefm.bc.ca

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (also known as ME or ME/CFS)* is a complex chronic disease characterized by debilitating exhaustion unrelieved by sleep, and symptoms that worsen after even minor physical or mental activity (known as post-exertional malaise or PEM). Classified as a neurological disease by the WHO since 1969, ME affects many body systems, and can cause everything from chronic pain and muscle weakness to heart issues, immune problems, cognitive dysfunction, and malfunctions of the autonomic nervous system (known as dysautonomia).

“Mild” ME typically reduces function by at least 50%, while moderate to severe cases can resemble living with heart failure or end-stage cancer for decades. 75% of people with ME cannot work, and the illness has the lowest quality-of-life score of all common diseases. Prior to the pandemic, ME affected over half a million Canadians and an estimated 17-24 million people worldwide. Despite this, ME is seldom taught in medical schools; up to 91% of patients aren’t even diagnosed; and there are no FDA-approved treatments or cures.

Around 80% of ME cases are triggered by infectious illnesses, and the number of people with ME is increasing exponentially right now due to COVID-19. Several studies suggest that around half of Long Covid patients may meet the criteria for ME. | learn more

*occasionally referred to as SEID, or by the term Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (which some consider outdated).

Long Covid (LC)* refers to cases where Covid survivors experience persistent symptoms, or develop new symptoms and health damage, following an infection with COVID-19. These symptoms can emerge on a delay, and may last for many weeks, months or years. They may also lead to new lifelong conditions, including ME/CFS.

People of all ages and genders can develop Long Covid, and research shows it can affect previously-healthy adults and children; people who have been vaccinated; and those who had initially mild or asymptomatic Covid infections. Conservatively, at least 10-30% of non-hospitalized Covid cases (and up to 80% of hospitalized cases) result in Long Covid, with risks that multiply with each reinfection. At least 1 in 9 Canadian adults and 400 million people worldwide have developed Long Covid as of 2024. The majority have not recovered.

Long Covid can cause over 200 possible symptoms, including debilitating fatigue and post-exertional malaise; breathing problems; heart problems; blood vessel damage and clots; immune system damage; reproductive issues; and neurological issues like memory loss. Many Long Covid patients must reduce their work or school hours, or cannot work at all. Due to the ongoing rise in cases, the government of Canada has referred to Long Covid as a “potential mass-disabling event”. | learn more

* sometimes referred to as long-haul Covid, Post-Covid Condition (PCC), or post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC)

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a complex chronic illness that affects over half a million Canadians and at least 2-3% of people worldwide. As one of the most common causes of chronic widespread pain worldwide, it is characterized by widespread burning pain and severe fatigue, and can also cause other debilitating symptoms including cognitive impairment (“brain fog”), digestive issues, severe sleep problems, autonomic dysfunction and more.

As with ME and Long Covid, symptoms of fibromyalgia can vary not just from person to person but from day to day, and some patients may even appear superficially healthy. Nevertheless, fibromyalgic pain can be unrelenting, and the UK’s National Health Service ranks it as one of the 20 most painful health conditions.

Fibromyalgia can also be associated with impaired joints and fascia (connective tissues) – an issue shared with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), a genetic disorder with which it can co-occur. In fact, fibromyalgia can occur alongside many other serious conditions such as ME, autoimmune diseases, endometriosis, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic migraines, interstitial cystitis and more, and the overlapping symptoms can affect every aspect of a person’s daily life. | learn more

Download a PDF about the charitable cause here.

in support of the
ME | FM Society of BC

May 1 – launch of our Benefit + Awareness Month
May 12 – International Awareness Day for ME, FM and other chronic neuro-immune diseases. Wear blue and purple to show your support!
May 18 – Blue Sunday, the “tea party for ME”. Join the ME | FM Society for a special online gathering, or join people around the world on socials!
June 1 – last day to enter our Benefit + Awareness prize draw!

What’s on

Our Benefit + Awareness Month may be over, but you can enjoy a few of the artistic offerings year round! Check them out below to discover highlights from past events.