A 27 YEAR-old man with first-hand experience of an illness which causes extreme tiredness has linked up with a group of young film-makers to tell the story of ME.

Tom Ellis, from Prestatyn, is working with art charity Tape in Old Colwyn to make the film, which tells a story about a young girl with myalgic encephalopathy (ME), which causes persistent exhaustion.

The group is seeking crowdfunding to make the short production – entitled M.E, Myself and I – which aims to raise awareness of a condition which affects around 250,000 people in the UK.

Tom, formerly of Abergele, has been an ME sufferer for 17 years. He was diagnosed at 12.

He said of the project: “Pre-production has been done; locations have been secured as well. It takes in both Conwy and Denbighshire.

“We have done a lot of research and have been doing podcasts. We’ve had loads of conversations with sufferers.

“We have also looked at how hard it is to get a diagnosis [for ME].

“We spoke to a girl from Kent. She is only 16 and we made her script supervisor.

“She was diagnosed with ME at 16 and when she read the story through she said ‘I felt that it had been written about me’.”

Tom added: “Awareness [of ME] hasn’t come on that much over the years.

“A lot of the time, in the past, I have buried my head in the sand. Documentaries have existed but they are ones only watched by ME sufferers.

“I’ve written the script in the hope it appeals to everyone. It has elements of drama and humour. It’s a hard thing ME because you’ve got to prove it – it is constant – to get that diagnosis.”

Tom said the group, which is made up of a cast of between 10 and 15 people and a crew of about seven, hoped to release the film on ME Awareness Day, May 12.

“I have had ME for 17 years and I had no idea there was an awareness day for it,” he added.

“Attitudes do have to change. We were featured on ITV Wales News recently, speaking about the project, and afterwards someone tweeted me saying ME was just ‘yuppie flu’. How people see and treat ME can be shocking.

“Some of the stories we have heard from people are truly harrowing.

“Before I was diagnosed, my mum and dad did their research and the symptoms of ME lined up for them, but people didn’t believe in ME – doctors, teachers.

“It was one of the lowest moment for my parents. Eventually, they got a second opinion but it was a year-long process.

“The symptoms can vary: from exhaustion, to constant migraines. When you are stressed and at your worst, it can make your eyes droop and you might have rings round your eyes like a panda because of the pain.

“I also have muscular pain and it affects my immune system.

“I am on experimental tablets at the moment to see if there is anything that ‘flicks a switch’.

“I’m hoping the film gives better understanding and for those that are dealing with it can relate to it.

“It will also act as a resource for charities and it is not behind a pay wall like Netflix; it will be on YouTube for people to watch.

“In a peculiar way, the film is a ‘telling of age’ story. I’m hoping others say ‘that is my story’.”

To donate, visit localgiving.org/appeal/MEMyselfandIFilm