AN ME sufferer who said the controversial illness stole her teenage years is campaigning for a dedicated service to be set up to help other young sufferers.
Sam McKenzie, from Witney, was diagnosed with Myalgic Enceph-alomyelitis when she was 11, but said she had been ill for as long as she can remember.
However, after spending years of having her condition dismissed as not a proper ailment, she has now spoken out in the hope it will change perceptions.
Miss McKenzie, 19, is also backing a campaign by Oxfordshire ME Group for Action (Omega) to set up a group to offer the support to sufferers she herself wanted when she was younger.
She said: “I’m constantly in pain in my joints and muscles and the light hurts my eyes and the back of my head.
“When I go to the supermarket, most of the time I’m so tired I have to use a wheelchair instead of walking.”
She said she has heard all of the nicknames she can think of for the debilitating illness, which left her bedridden for years and now means she cannot work, as many do not believe it is a real illness. She said: “I’ve heard it called yuppy flu, lazyitis, the lot. Before I was diagnosed one doctor even told me I just had school phobia.
“I was off school for a long time so have lost touch with lots of friends. It’s not very fun for young people to sit around while I’m lying in bed, so I only really have a couple of real friends left.”
Miss McKenzie said she is supported by her fiance, Jason Crouch, who is also unable to work after he set himself on fire during a workplace accident.
She added: “He was welding and he blanked out.
“The doctors think he might be narcoleptic, which means you kind of fall asleep a lot, but we don’t quite know what is wrong with him yet. We both really help and support each other though.”
According to Omega, 250 young people from the county suffer from the illness and it is the main reason for long-term sickness from school.
Chairman Patricia Wells added: “In this day and age we expect things to be getting better, not worse. We are appalled that children are still not being listened to.”
To support the campaign, contact Omega at ltrl3@tiscali.co.uk, or Witney area Omega representative and Sam’s mother, Flora McKenzie, on 01993 774834.
awilliams@oxfordmail.co.uk
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