From the Lannie in the Lymelight blog, 1 March 2011
Dr. A. Martin Lerner of The Treatment Center for CFS in Beverly Hills, Michigan was presented the Heart Award from Mothers Against Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (MAME), an international advocacy organization representing patients all over the world with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME), also called Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS).
The award reads:
“A. Martin Lerner, MD. MAME is proud to present you with our 2010 Heart Award. Each year we chose to honor a doctor who has sacrificed so very much, perhaps more than we will ever know, to study the horrific disease, Myalgic encephalomyelitis. We hope that you will like this little token, a symbol of how we patients thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”
The Heart Award was presented by a long time patient of Dr. Lerner’s, and ME/CFS advocate Ken Huddleston.
“It was an honor for me to present this award on behalf of the president and founder of MAME, Jean Harrison,” said Huddleston. “Dr. Lerner saved my life. I took an early retirement and moved to Michigan to be closer to my children and grandchildren, as I thought I was preparing to die. I was introduced to Dr. Lerner, and through his CFS treatment protocol he gave me my life back. I am now enjoying my retirement, time with my wife and playing with my grandkids – just last week we were building snow forts and before that it was their pinewood derby cars.”
The timing of this award comes just on the heels of Dr. Lerner’s third piece of ME/CFS research published in the past year alone. It’s titled “A paradigm linking herpesvirus immediate early gene expression apoptosis and myalgic encephalomyelitis, chronic fatigue syndrome,” published by Virus Adaptation and Treatment.This research, linking a single gene expression to ME/CFS, is just one more, of over 200 professional publications in his career.
Dr. Lerner is the 8th recipient of the Heart Award. It has been awarded to doctors throughout the world that have committed their lives to supporting patients with ME or CFS. Past recipients include the ME/CFS powerhouses of Dr. John Richardson, Dr. Leonard Jason, Dr. Daniel Peterson, Dr. Derek Enlander and Dr. David Bell, to name a few.
When asked why Dr. Lerner was chosen for this award, Jean Harrison responded, “The words that come to mind for us are longevity, fortitude. There is an innate need by Dr. Lerner to know and understand. But where Dr. Lerner stands apart is he then follows up that need to understand with the need to apply his research to improve the lives of his patients. He has worked long and hard to for all of the recognition he receives. He’s devoted his life to this patient population. It takes courage. It takes heart.”
The award was presented amongst patients, Dr. A. Martin Lerner CFS Foundation members, friends and staff of the Treatment Center for CFS in Michigan. Upon receiving the award, Dr. Lerner responded, “I am honored to receive the 2010 Mothers Against Myalgic Encephalomyelitis Heart Award. I am pleased to join others, physicians, patients and families, seeking to understand ME/CFS and, there-with, help our patients recover to live healthy lives. This ME/CFS understanding, healing is now near. I am grateful to continue to be a part of this search. Thank you.”