A young sufferer of ME has been awarded a certificate after setting up a website about her illness.

Rachael Twinn, a 12-year-old from Springfield in Chelmsford, has suffered from ME most of her life and felt that is was a little understood disease, which weakens the immune and nervous systems and leaves sufferers exhausted.

After receiving a computer as a present she taught herself how to set up a website and published information about herself and her illness on the web.

Her work, entitled My Life Story describes the time since her birth and the problems she has faced convincing others that ME is a real disease.

Rachael, a part-time year eight student at Chelmer Valley High School, said: "For a long time I had trouble at school because the teachers thought I was just lazy."

Her work has now been recognised by the Tymes Trust which was set up to support young people with ME.

She was sent a certificate to congratulate her and an extract of her book was published in The Tymes Magazine.

Rachael set up her website last December and has so far received 580 hits.

She is very pleased with what she has achieved and has received a lot of favourable comments from those visiting the site.

"There are lots of people in the same situation as me who have seen my website and lots of people have said that it's very good", said Rachael.

The severity of her illness means that she must sometimes be taught by a home tutor as she does not have the energy to travel to school.

Her grandmother Connie Leuschke said her health has picked up recently but at times her energy levels can sink very low.

"One minute she is OK and the next it's like someone has just pulled the plug out. Sometimes she is so bad that she can't get out of bed or even eat."

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