A RAY of hope has entered the life of Katie Durben since her world was shattered by a nightmare illness 10 years ago.

It comes in the form of a colourful Christmas card which is on sale this festive season to raise funds for the Association of Young People with ME.

The card was designed and painted by Katie in the confines of her room in her home at Weobley and was chosen by the association to help raise funds to help young people with chronic fatigue syndrome.

For Katie, who this time last year was being spoon fed it is much more than just a national artistic success, rather a signal that her life could be getting back on course again.

She was just 14 and a pupil at Hereford Cathedral School when her illness started.

For five years she struggled to cope with her education and develop her artistic talents.

She managed to complete A Level art and started a Foundation year at Hereford College of Art.

But her illness gathered pace, she was hardly able to walk and then doctors diagnosed chronic fatigue syndrome, an illness she knew as ME.

By the time she was aged 19 Katie was mainly housebound but continued to fight against it.

Fighting was the only way she knew, but now she realises that battling against the illness only made her worse, drawing her further down into debilitation and pain.

When she was 21 Katie became confined to the top floor of her home. "It was awful, I couldn't even look out of the window because I was hypersensitive and could not bear light,'' she said.

She was stuck in her room for two and a half years, almost unable to speak, being spoon fed and every touch causing extreme pain.

Rest time

"It was frightening to be so independent on other people," she recalled.

Even when the family bought a stair lift she was too ill to take advantage.

Last year Katie realised that by fighting her illness she was actually fighting her body's ability to recover.

So she did the opposite, making the decision to allow her body to rest.

"I gave in and accepted the rest my body craved. I had finally realised that giving in was not giving up. It was actually the most positive thing I could do,'' she said.

One year on Katie's life has generally improved and she is able to use the chair lift, giving her some independence in the house. On occasions she is taken by car for a trip to the local shops.

Rest remains the biggest weapon in her fight to get better and she talks little, to reserve her energy.

She became a member of the Association of Young People with ME and says they helped her through the worst years with their bi-monthly magazine CHEERS and putting her in touch with others in the same situation.

Katie has been able to do some artwork again and entered their Christmas card competition.

Just completing a card was a major achievement in itself.

To win it has been like a major tonic. "Seeing my design in print is honestly like a dream come true'' said Katie.

She sent her story, and her winning card to The Hereford Times in the hope of increasing people's general awareness of how debilitating ME can be.

There are many, many people out there who suffer with this illness, she says.

For courageous Katie and her family it has been tragic experience, but they remain optimistic there is light at the end of the tunnel.

In the meantime her winning card 'Star with Snowflake' is on sale and can be seen on AYME web site.