A family is campaigning for greater awareness of an illness which has left their teenage daughter bedridden for nearly three months.

Samantha McKenzie

Samantha McKenzie, 13, of Windrush Valley Road, Witney, has not been to school since January, after she collapsed with a severe attack of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME).

The affliction has left her with severe pain, fatigue and memory loss, and unable to tolerate light.

Her parents Flora, 53, a cleaner, and Ian, 53, a lorry driver, have had to rearrange their lives to cope with their only child's ill health.

They have spoken about her condition as part of ME Awareness Week, May 12 - 17.

Mrs McKenzie said: "I clean homes for the elderly in the morning and Ian starts work at 4pm. I need a few hours a day to get away, but we have to look after Samantha all the time."

Because ME shows few physical effects, and symptoms can vary widely between sufferers, many doctors still refuse to acknowledge the condition even exists.

Samantha has suffered severely since her last year at West Witney Primary School, and her health deteriorated when she joined Wood Green Comprehensive, but she was only diagnosed with the condition a few months ago.

She is receiving therapy at Oxford's Park Hospital, but has missed two sessions due to her poor health.

Mrs McKenzie said: "Up until last November, I was going to the doctor every week with Samantha. I had a terrible time getting a doctor to visit her.

"But now our GP is working really closely with us. He really believes in ME and is doing all he can.

"We have tried other things, like hypnotherapy and a healer. We are grasping at anything that may help."

Samantha is receiving five hours of private tuition every week from her former primary school headteacher, Julia Smart.

She is one of five children in Oxfordshire suffering from ME who has one-to-one lessons at home, paid for by Oxfordshire Local Education Authority.

County education spokesman John Mitchell said: "There shouldn't normally be any significant gap in a placement. Many of these tutors do a fantastic job with pupils, who are often hard to motivate."

Tony Britton, of the ME Association, said: "Teenagers with ME find their whole life is turned upside-down. Education is often put on hold in the hope they will recover very quickly.

"They tend to lose social contact if they are not going to school and even best friends can be lost."