I'm Helen Miller, I am a mum, a wife, a daughter, a sister, an aunty, a christian, an artist, a theatre goer, a Butlins fan, a cruiser, a wanna be blogger and a keep going till I get there, kind of person. 

I am all these roles from the comfort of my powered Wheelchair due to living with ME/CFS Chronic fatigue.

My wheelchair is not the most important thing about me but it does limit where I can go and what I can do; and my Chronic Fatigue limits me even further. So, I'm here to blog about my experience of living with chronic fatigue, it will inevitably include my wheelchair as this is the only way I can continue to get around. 

I started using a powered wheelchair in May 2024 after quickly losing my mobility after having Pneumonia and Sepsis in November 2023. Having been able to walk for over 30 years and a car driver for 13 years having to use a wheelchair and public transport came as a massive change. I was suddenly in the same world but with a new perspective. Where things I had been able to do previously could not be done in my wildest dreams. I am 1 year and 7 months into my wheelchair life and I've had some funny, terrible, exciting, and terrifying experiences. I finally think it's time to start putting my experiences down into a blog, in the hope it will raise awareness. 

But there is more to me than my wheels...

I was born in Cardiff in 1988 and grew up with my sister Sarah and my parents. I went off to university in Preston in 2007 to get my BA in Ceramics and then my MA in Art for health and wellbeing. I travelled and backpacked to central America, Peru, and Japan. I started to work on the Wirral and became a pottery teacher for adults with Autism for 10 years.  I became a wife to my husband Karl in 2019 on a steam train. I became a full time stay at home mum in 2020 to my beautiful daughter Erin, she is a wonderful part of my life and one of my biggest reasons for getting out of bed every day. Now many of the journeys I take are with her and for her. My sister Sarah, still encourages me to get up and go, she booked and planned my first accessible cruise in 2025, which I would never have attempted without her. Needing to help my daughter to share her home life with school and nursery friends, I wrote and illustrated a short book for her called Mummy has broken batteries. This led to me discovering I could no longer draw using traditional methods and meant I started to use computerised illustrating. A talent I would not otherwise have found.

So, in short, I'm Helen, here's to the start of my blogging journey, let's continue to raise awareness of ME/CFS together here at Rolling Forward with ME. 

What's the challenge? 

To complete 1000 Miles out of my home, in my powered Wheelchair by the 1st of July 2026. 

Why? 

Simply; I think we still need 1000 Miles More Awareness of ME/CFS. 

Getting to the local shops, library, or train station can be very difficult in a wheelchair, often having to go a very long way around to get to the same place as a walker. When you have little to no energy this can be really off putting. Even making the transfer from Bed to Wheelchair can be too much. 

When I was able to walk, I used to think most places were accessible: how wrong I was. I used to cross the road where I liked, as curbs didn’t matter and I’d take short cuts across grass without even thinking. This is just not possible in a wheelchair even in a powered wheelchair. 

Whilst I complete my 1000 Miles, I will also be blogging about the journeys I am taking and the challenges I am facing. This is to raise awareness of specific access issues and also to shine a light on ME/CFS and the difficult choices you need to make when deciding where to spend your energy. 

Some places are excellent for accessibility and I will visit and mention these in my blog as I go through this challenge. I will also include poor access places and talk about what makes these so difficult in a wheelchair. 

Who is this all for? 

Me, just kidding, But I like a challenge and I need a little push to get up and go sometimes. 

It's for ME Association all funds raised will be donated directly to them, so they can continue to raise awareness of ME/CFS in a way one person alone could never achieve. 

What's the aim? 

To Raise £1 for every mile, so £1000 by the 1st of July.

How to Donate? 

The fundraising page is now live so pleease pop over to JustGiving to donate today, every penny will help us get closer to our target, thank you 

Click Here to Vist JustGiving Now

Want to Join in? 

I would love people to join me on my Rolls, or to suggest places to try, or just generally get in touch. I have set up a group on band called RollingForwardWithME if you wish to be added to this group so you can chat directly, please email: rollingforwardwithme@gmail.com

I started "Mission Around Merseyside" to raise money so others like me—who are stuck in bed or at home—can find their own “happy place,” just like I did. 

I choose Incurably Wonderful to support with the funds raised. It was a truly special Liverpool organisation Founded by Rocio Castillero in 2020. It supported adults with chronic illness and disabilities to transform their lives through skills, knowledge, and resources. But the magic was in the people: the events and activities are designed by and for people who truly understand what it’s like to live with chronic conditions. Whether it’s social gatherings, gentle movement classes, or learning workshops, everything was made with patients in mind.

In January 2026 IW sadly stopped running its group activities so it can focus on other aspects of disability advocacy. In its new form it can no longer accept donations so I needed to reset my challenge. 

During the "Mission Around Merseyside" fundraiser £240 was raised and it went directly into the running of these wonderful activities by Incurably Wonderful. 

I wasn't just asking for money—I wanted a challenge too. I wanted to do something positive and show everyone that, even with chronic fatigue, I still have plenty to give my community.

My days of running marathons were over (not that I ever actually ran one!), so there was no couch-to-5k for me. But what did I do?

I had been wheelchair-bound for 18 months and was housebound before that. I’d struggled to get around on public transport for over five years, ever since I had to take long breaks from driving. But I was determined to show what’s possible with the right equipment and support. (I still am!)

So, I set out to use my powered wheelchair to complete a journey around the entire outside of Merseyside! Using cycle routes, public rights of way, green spaces, and dropped pavements. I shared my journey as I went—using public transport to get to my starting point each day, then aimed to cover 4–10 miles a day depending on my energy levels and my wheelchair battery,

I managed to complete 44 miles around the Wirral and 10 miles as far as Hunts Cross in Liverpool. 

I knew it was going to take me a long time as I needed breaks between my wheelchair days to manage my own illness. I planned to attempt to complete the challenge by the 1st of July 2026 - 1 year from the start! I wasn't alone, I had support from others to keep me on track as no one can do everything alone.

You might think that doesn’t sound like much of a challenge, but that’s the point. For someone with chronic fatigue, every day is a marathon. My wheelchair only has so much power before I break down, and I have only a tiny amount of energy to spare.

So, what now? well I'm not giving up; I set myself a challenge of covering the outskirts of Merseyside with my powered wheelchair and I intend to see the challenge through to the end. 

Incurably Wonderful was affiliated with ME Association so it feels only right to continue my mission in support of ME Association. 

The challenge will look a little different but the 54 miles I completed will not be forgotten and I will Keep Rolling Forward. 

My new challenge will continue to show just how hard it is to get around on very little energy, and highlight the tough choices people with ME face every day: do I go out today, or do I save my energy for tomorrow?

Continue to follow me on my new challenge "1000 Miles More Awareness"