SMS Stay Awake Challenge
Join us after our Sunset, Moonlight and Sunrise Picnic on Saturday 20th June and stay awake all night with our Stay Awake Challenge! We are asking the friends and family of our SMS community to join together and pledge to stay awake all night – ask people to sponsor your challenge, or donate money yourselves to the SMS Foundation, in support of all families living with SMS.
Why are we staying awake all night?
Did you know that people living with Smith-Magenis Syndrome have a very unusual sleep cycle? Their melatonin (the hormone responsible for sleep) levels are reversed – this is due to the deletion of a particular gene (RAI1) on chromosome 17.
This means people with SMS are sleepy during the day and awake for many hours during the night.
The disrupted sleep pattern of Smith-Magenis Syndrome is a huge challenge for families living with SMS. This is why we have chosen to hold our Sunset, Moonlight and Sunrise Picnic on the longest day/shortest night to reflect the lack of sleep that many of our parents and carers face on a daily basis.
How can you show your support?
We are asking our friends, family and networks to join us in supporting our SMS families – take on the challenge of staying awake all night and step into the shoes of an SMS family and learn a little of what life is like with Smith-Magenis Syndrome.
Take on the Stay Awake challenge for all those living with SMS – stay awake all night, ask for sponsorship or make a donation to the SMS Foundation – and experience a night in the life of an SMS family.
To donate by text, please text ‘DONATE SMS HUG’ to 88802. To donate online, please visit the SMS donations page here.
