CW: Death I met Lea (not her real name), who was also suffering from very severe ME/CFS, on Reddit in early August. She also had POTS, MCAS, EDS, and gastroparesis. We started talking after realizing how similar our situations were, especially when it came to nutrition, struggling to eat enough, and losing so much weight. She was hospitalized because of these difficulties and had spent five of the previous seven months in the hospital. I could tell from the very beginning that Lea was an incredibly kind person. She was smart and caring, always trying to help others even when she was struggling so much herself. She always found a way to make jokes despite her suffering, which was something I truly admired about her. We exchanged messages here and there, as much as our conditions and the time zone difference allowed. On August 30, she told me she would reply in a few days because she was feeling particularly unwell. But the days went by, and then the entire month of September passed without any news from her. I feared the worst. And sadly, I was right... A few days ago, Lea's father reached out to let me know that she had passed away in the hospital in early September. I'm still deeply saddened by her death, but I'm also angry. Because she was in the hospital, a place where she should have received the care she needed and been safe. Instead, she was denied help because she "didn't meet the criteria." Until she finally did. But by then, it was too late. Perhaps all of this could have been avoided if she had received the help she needed sooner. No one should ever have to go through something like this, especially not in their early twenties, after battling such a devastating illness for almost a decade. I can't even begin to imagine how much she must have suffered in her final days. Rest in peace, my dear friend. You deserved so much better. I will not forget you.🌹💙 #MECFS #MEKills