World Stay in Bed Day on Sunday 23 September 2012 is the Australian Mitochondrial Disease Foundation‘s (AMDF) major fundraising
activity, conceived because being forced to stay in bed to rest and recharge is a common outward symptom of mitochondrial disease (or mito).
Mitochondrial disease is a debilitating genetic disorder that robs the body’s cells of energy, causing multiple organ dysfunction or failure and potentially death. Most patients have a genetic mistake (mutation) in the mitochondrial or nuclear DNA. The condition can be inherited from the mother, the father or both parents, or can arise as a spontaneous genetic mistake at conception.
To help sufferers get out of bed, Australians raise money by being sponsored to stay in bed until midday on 23 September via www.stayinbedday.org, hosting a pyjama party or ‘bed-in’, or making a donation. The event also features the first virtual worldwide bed on the worldwide web, via facebook.com/stayinbedday and twitter.com/stayinbedday (tweet using #stayinbedday). Funds raised go towards vital research into treatments and a cure.
A successful Australian initiative that began in 2009, Stay in Bed Day took our laid-back, generous attitude to the world for the first time in 2011, in collaboration with NZmito, the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation (US), The Lily Foundation (UK), and Mito Canada.
The week before World Stay in Bed Day is Global Mitochondrial Disease Awareness Week (16-22 September 2012). It includes a variety of education and information sessions, fundraising activities, and support and advocacy initiatives.
School friends become gorgeous “calendar girls” to support a friend in need:
Rose Lingard, 25, was struck down with mitochondrial disease at the age of 20 and now suffers muscle weakness, seizures and problems with walking, talking and coordination. It took a year and many expensive tests before Rose was finally diagnosed with the same (then unknown) disease her seven-year-old brother died from 28 years ago. There are as yet no effective treatments and no cure.
A group of Rose’s girlfriends who attended PLC Sydney wanted to do something to help raise funds and awareness, so decided to create the glamorous 2013 Stay in Bed Day calendar, which features them in tasteful yet cheeky bedroom-themed shots by art photographer Toby Burrows, who donated his time for the cause. The calendars will be sold to raise funds for research to help people like Rose get out of bed; it will be launched at a Surry Hills soiree and photo exhibition on Friday 21st September (you can see a photo and watch a behind-the-scenes video below, or at the Stay in Bed Day website: www.stayinbedday.org ).