I WATCHED the recent Panorama programme on children with ME.

I have a 16-year-old daughter who has suffered with ME for more than two years. We received the diagnosis early this year and, after this confirmation, the only treatment on offer was that of a psychiatric nature.

However, we were fortunate in that my brother went on the internet and found an osteopath in Prestwich who has been researching at Salford University the effects of ME. My daughter has been receiving treatment for the past nine months from this gentlemen, who shows compassion and kindness as well as an ability to help children with this very debilitating illness. I say this as - in common with those in the programme - we too have seen a child psychologist, an experience which ended in tears and a letter of apology from the department concerned.

One "bad apple", though, does not mean that other departments are unsympathetic to this illness. Indeed, the paediatrician, GP, the at-home education services and Bury CE High School have all been most supportive in my daughter's plight.

However, as the Panorama programme proved, the biggest disease certain sections of the NHS suffers from is ignorance.

I know that ours is not an isolated case because we are members of AYME, run by Esther Rantzen, and the local ME Young People's Support Group, run by Vivien Makin.

Thank you for reading this letter and I pray to God that the work continues to help these physically ill children who deserve all our love and understanding to cope with this very debilitating illness.

KIM BOURKE

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.