DISABLED mum Janet Horton has picked up a degree, despite going through agonising pain as she studied.
Janet, 49, has fibro myalgia, a rare condition of the tissue which leaves her in constant pain.
Despite the illness, mum-of-three Janet, of Fellstone Vale, Withnell, studied for an Open University degree and recently collected a BSc Honours in Social Sciences.
A volunteer for the Chorley Citizens Advice Bureau and a lay preacher, Janet said: "I virtually live on pain killers so studying for the degree actually helped take my mind off things.
"It was hard work but worth it. I studied when my husband and children were out of the house."
Janet's condition means she is sometimes forced to use a wheelchair. She has recently been made a trustee of a national group set up to help sufferers.
She hopes to put her degree to good use and is about to start a course to become a counsellor with the bereavement group Cruise.
She added: "Little is known about fibro myalgia. You wouldn't believe there was anything wrong just by looking at a victim.
"But a national helpline has received 6,000 inquiries in the last four years so there are a lot of sufferers out there."
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article