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      A year and a half after the onset of my illness, I received a news clipping in the mail from a family friend. It was an article from the Wall Street Journal about a doctor in Michigan who had just presented his findings on the cause of CFS to the medical community. That doctor is Dr. A. Martin Lerner, an internal medicine/infectious disease specialist from Detroit, Michigan. The article gave new insight as to why the majority of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome patients do not improve with time. Dr. Lerner�s research has found that nearly one hundred percent of CFS patients whose chronic symptoms began with a viral infection, normally Epstein-Barr Virus (mononucleosis) or Cytomegalovirus, have a heart condition as a result of the infection. Not only that, but Dr. Lerner is able to treat the illness and has had remarkable results with his treatment regimen, which includes an initial four to six weeks of intravenous antiviral medication followed by an oral form of the medication. Six months after treatment, most patients treated by Dr. Lerner have noticed improvement in their overall health.
      After receiving the article, Dr. Lerner and his research became my lifeline. Learning of Dr. Lerner�s research was a true miracle; I had finally received the key to the one thing all CFS patients long for: the cure. This hope and discovery of the CFS patient�s Holy Grail is what I want to share with fellow CFS sufferers across the nation. Thanks to Dr. Lerner, I now have a rock-solid explanation for my prolonged illness and the promise of returning to the activities I love.
     I rarely encounter a person who does not know someone who suffers from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Everyday, CFS robs mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers of the lives they wish to lead. From my experience, chances are that if you do not know one of them, the person seated next to you does. With so many people in America and around the world affected by Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, you would think there would be more attention drawn to breakthrough research like Dr. Lerner�s. Unfortunately, a very small minority of CFS patients has ever heard of Dr. Lerner and his research.
     Given five minutes on national television, I could use the opportunity to voice my personal beliefs. If you were to flip through the news channels right now, there would be a slew of politicians and activists voicing their opinions. With so many opinions broadcast, mine would quickly get lost and forgotten in the daily barrage. However, the words Chronic Fatigue Syndrome would quickly grab the attention of those who suffer from it and those who know them. I know that with five minutes on national television, Dr. Lerner�s research could reach thousands of Americans. I pray my five minutes would restore long lost hope and change the lives of many sufferers. However, if only one life were changed, it would be five minutes well spent.