ProHealth Founder Part of $4 Million National Awareness Campaign

[Guest guest]

ProHealth Founder Part of $4 Million National Awareness Campaign by Corin Walson

ImmuneSupport.com

05-15-2006

SANTA BARBARA, Calif-----May 15, 2006----After 17 years of being disabled from

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), Rich Carson, founder of the Santa Barbara,

California-based company ProHealth, returns to the public eye in a $4 million

national public awareness campaign to be launched on June 7. Carson, 49, is

one of 8 CFS patients and 2 physicians and researchers photographed for the

traveling photo exhibit, “The Faces of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome” taken by

renowned celebrity photographer Lange. It is the first national CFS

awareness campaign in the history of the illness. An estimated 1 million

people in America suffer from CFS, which is three times as common in women as

men. Carson is the sole adult male patient photographed for the campaign. The

campaign includes a press launch at the National Press Club in Washington D.C.,

media tours, full-page color print ads in national magazines, TV and radio

Public Service Announcements and a traveling CFS photography

exhibit. It is designed to educate Americans about who is at risk for CFS, the

symptoms of the illness, treatment and management options, the importance of

seeking diagnosis and treatment, and the impact of the illness on both patients

and family members. The campaign is being funded by the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention, with The CFIDS Association of America selected as the

contractor to implement the campaign. McCleary, president and CEO of

the CFIDS Association of American says that Carson, in combination with his

long-time advocacy work for CFS, represents an important and often overlooked

group of patients – men with CFS.: " While CFS is sometimes referred to as a

" woman's disease, " it's crucial for the public to know that it affects kids and

men, too. For nearly two decades, Rich Carson has been a beacon of hope to many.

His close work with researchers and benefactors has led to important discoveries

about CFS, and through ProHealth, he has

created a source of invaluable information and supportive therapy for patients

and caregivers. We're delighted that Rich's dashing image and compelling story

will help illustrate this fact. " RETURN TO PROHEALTH Rich Carson, through

ProHealth, is also the largest single fundraiser for CFIDS research (over $2.5

million to date). For the past several years, Carson had taken a background role

in the day-to-day operations of the company, focusing his time instead on

patient advocacy and fundraising for CFS and Fibromyalgia. Carson has recently

returned to the helm of ProHealth, the company he founded in 1988 (

" http://www.prohealth.com " . ) that provides a comprehensive resource of support,

education and high quality, hard to find nutritional supplement solutions for

people with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. “I am very energized

and excited by the continuing growth and success of ProHealth, and with the

partnerships we have with organizations that provide

research for CFS, Fibromyalgia and other chronic diseases,” says Carson. “I

love working with a company whose products—and profits—help make a difference in

the lives of others.” For more information on ProHealth, visit their website:

" http://www.ProHealth.com " . or call 805-564-3064. # # # BACKGROUND ON RICH

CARSON In 1981, at age 23, Rich Carson was the top sales person at Cable TV

in Santa Barbara, CA, holding every established sales record. Then one day in

August that same year, he woke up with severe flu-like symptoms. Carson went to

a specialist who ran tests for strep throat and mononucleosis, but the results

for both tests were negative. Formerly a long-distance runner, Carson began

“wasting away,” and was forced to quit his job and move in with his parents. His

memory suffered, as did his cognitive functioning abilities. Sometime later,

while still feeling extremely ill, Carson spoke with an internist who informed

him that he may be suffering from either

a chronic cytomegalovirus or a chronic Epstein-Barr virus infection. Pointed

in the right direction, Carson telephoned every researcher he could find to

investigate his illness, which has since come to be known as Chronic Fatigue

Syndrome. By 1986, Carson was spending two or three hours a day on the

telephone with CFS patients and researchers, and started one of the first and

largest CFS support groups in the country. Rich’s determination to help CFS

patients soon lead to the creation of ProHealth, Inc. Although he still suffers

from occasional relapses of symptoms, Carson attributes his road to ‘recovery’

to the natural vitamins and supplements which became the genesis for ProHealth.

ABOUT ProHealth, INC. Founded in 1988 by Rich Carson, ProHealth, Inc.

( " http://www.ProHealth.com " . ) provides a comprehensive resource of support,

education and high quality nutritional supplement solutions for people with

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. ProHealth publishes a

monthly health resource catalog and hosts " http://www.ImmuneSupport.com " . , the

largest patient forum and information exchange site on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

and Fibromyalgia in the world Known for its motto, “commerce with compassion,”

ProHealth to date has raised and donated over $2.5 million to organizations

dedicated to researching CFS and FM and finding effective treatments. Under the

direction of its founder, Rich Carson, ProHealth has become the world’s leading

fundraiser for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

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