Bettina Carr-Allinson knew she could do anything after getting through three years of trauma, writes KATHERINE MacALISTER.

The smart Witney businesswoman, recently voted European Woman of the Year, gave up everything for her two children before forging ahead with her own ambitions.

Her daughter, Rowena, was born without an oesophagus, so there was nothing connecting her mouth to her stomach.

Before the operations Rowena needed, Bettina had to stop her from drowning in her own saliva, so she could never sleep or relax properly or relax.

"I had to keep a bright light shining in my face. When my husband came home at weekends, he would take over and I would sleep. It was a very hard time," she recalled.

The baby was given a ten per cent chance of survival and, six operations later, her parents began doubting whether she would live.

But the next pioneering transplant operation saved her life. "They were the worst years of my life. Rowena was in so much pain and while she was in Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, we would be walking around the streets of London in the rain," she said.

Bettina did not resurrect her career until several years later. She had married David, a computer manager, at 23, just after gaining a degree in languages and history.

Born in Holland, Bettina wanted to work for the Dutch Foreign Office, but after being offered a post in London, turned it down to walk down the aisle.

"I didn't work after that. I wanted to spend the first few years with my children. It may seem old-fashioned, but they are only young for such a short time," she said.

It is amazing that she has achieved so much since then and made a difference to so many young people's lives.

Her first challenge was to convert the local state school where they lived in Fontainebleu, in France, into an international college. She did it virtually single-handed and the school has now achieved worldwide acclaim.

She had asked Rowena, now 23, and son Frank, now 28, if they would like to meet up with like-minded kids from all over Europe. They did and the idea was born.

Young people from 30 countries now meet frequently to swap ideas, university students discuss current issues and warring sides make peace, thanks to the efforts of the 52-year-old. Bettina alone is responsible for the European Youth Parliament, The European Challenge for Universities, The Raleigh European Initiative and many other projects.

She has set up youth offices in 27 countries around the world, which she co-ordinates from her West End office and, for the past two years, has managed to gather Macedonians, Albanians, Croatians and Yugoslavians on the same boat to discuss conflict.

Apart from being European Woman Of The Year, she has also been awarded the German Service Cross and the Freedom of the City of Athens for efforts towards democracy.

And her secret: "I never take no for an answer." she said.

But she is the first to admit that she works too hard. She attends all the conferences she organises and does all the fundraising. Her spare-time is non-existent.

But she always has time for her family. Rowena lives in London and is a financial journalist. Sometimes she has trouble swallowing, and her body still bears the old scars, but otherwise she is fine.

"She was very dependent on me for a long time so I try to keep some distance between us now. But, yes, we are very close," her mother smiled, and although she is separated from David they remain good friends.

And plans for the future? Bettina is currently bidding for the Capitol Hill Parliament in Scotland as a base for the Youth Parliament.

"I must learn to say no," she laughed. Somehow, I didn't believe her.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.