Greg Crowhurst - Short-listed for Nurse of the Year!

On the 20th March the British Journal of Nursing will announce the Winners of their 2015 Nursing Awards.  This year is especially exciting for the ME community because Greg Crowhurst of Stonebird has been shortlisted for Nurse of the Year!


I am sure the whole ME community will join with me in congratulating Greg on this amazing achievement, and in wishing him every success on the night!


At the end of last year I wrote a statement in support of Greg's application, and now seems a very appropriate time to share it.  (All images are Greg's)

This is what I said:

"Nursing for Greg has always been much more than just a career choice.  Only a few years after qualifying as an RN Greg left the structure and security of conventional practice to nurse his profoundly ill wife, Linda, at home.  Then, as now, medical help for severe myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) was not readily available; with the condition often being mis-portrayed as a psychiatric problem.

Against this difficult backdrop, Greg not only kept abreast of the latest biomedical findings, but also wrote two books, and numerous articles, on caring for patients with the extreme neurological problems of Severe ME. 

Further, he took up the cause of publicizing the nature of Severe ME through his Stonebird website, Carer’s Fight blog, YouTube videos and podcasts. Through these outlets, he has helped to warn many new sufferers of the dangers of over exertion, and has given personal and hauntingly honest testimony about the decades of relentless suffering that Severe ME can cause.

I first encountered Greg in 2012 through his e-media campaign of Severe ME infographics. At the time, I was struggling to come to terms with my own diagnosis, and the severity of my illness was increasing at an alarming rate. 

Greg’s steady stream of material helped me to face up to the fact that I needed to change my “push on” approach, and so avoid making my condition worse.  I remain moderately affected, but I can thank Greg, at least in part, for the wake-up calls that made me act differently.

I continue to follow Greg’s campaigning, and his insightful writing always give me pause for thought.  It is strikingly obvious that Greg has dedicated his nursing career not only to Linda and the high maintenance needs of her care, but also to bettering the situation of ME sufferers everywhere."

Best of Luck on the Night Greg!  

Further Information:

List of Nurses Shortlisted for BJN Awards: Shortlist 2015
Greg's Website: Stonebird
Greg's YouTube Channel: Greg Crowhurst Videos
ME Publication: Crowhurst G (2005) Supporting people with severe myalgic encephalomyelitis.Nursing Standard. 19, 21, 38-43. Date of acceptance: September 28 2004.
Blog post I wrote last summer inspired by Greg and Linda: Living Death Disease

Some more images from Greg: 

Thank you Greg for all that you do!  xx

Edit to add link to post on the outcome: Congratulations Greg! BJN Nurse of Year: 3rd Place