Rachel Star Performance

The article below appeared in the Morpeth Herald

Rachael Mills, 16, got one of the top five grades nationwide for her English Literature paper, despite only being well enough to attend the first few days of the course at King Edward VI school in Morpeth."We're delighted with her, we never doubted she would do it," said Rachael's Mum, Avril. "We saw all the tears and the frustration during the last two years, but she was just so determined. Even on the days when she really shouldn't have been studying, she did anyway – she just wouldn't give up.”

The condition, which causes chronic fatigue and restricted movement, first came to light when Rachael was at the end of Year 9 — the final year before the start of the GCSE course."It first started when I noticed pains in my feet, but I just thought my shoes didn't fit so I kept getting new ones instead," said Rachael, who lives near Rothbury. "I missed the last week of Year 9 and went back for the start of Year 10 but I was far too tired so I was sent home. From then until January I was sleeping all day so the school just left me alone because there wouldn't have been any point in sending a tutor out at that point. At that stage I probably wouldn't get up until 11am. Then I'd come downstairs and have another nap until tea time. When I started sleeping a little less, the school sent out a tutor for me. It was hard getting up in the morning, and when we first started working I was so tired, and my concentration was really bad. I couldn't go out at weekends in case I tired myself out for my class on Monday morning."

Tutors were provided for Science and English courses, but Rachael had to guide herself through the Maths syllabus — gaining a remarkable A* in the final exams. But when it came to English Lit, she found studying less of a struggle. Since the onset of her illness she worked her way through a book a day, finding solace in the pages of the Brontes, William Golding, and eventually Shakespeare."She's collected about 300 books since she first fell ill," said Avril. "At the beginning her concentration was so bad she couldn't even remember what she'd read, but now it gives her so much pleasure."
"I love reading — it's a bit of an escape for me," said Rachael. "I go up to my room and read and read. I'd already read a few of the GCSE texts before the course started so that probably helped. I love Jane Eyre, and I've started getting into Shakespeare a bit more. When I read Romeo and Juliet for about the third time I finally started to enjoy it!"

Myalgic Encephalomyelitis leads to muscle and joint pain, general fatigue, and problems with concentration. Medical science has yet to establish an exact cause, and there is no known cure. When the illness was at its worst, Rachael would be confined to her room with the curtains drawn, distressed by strong light or sudden noises, and panicked by the simple routine tasks she'd previously taken for granted. But thanks to a close circle of friends and three sisters, she's avoided the fate of so many ME sufferers who quickly become isolated and lonely.

"I still keep in touch with my best friends," she said. "They often come up to see me when I'm feeling a bit better. I used to get really wound up when I had to use the phone, but it's much easier to send an e-mail or a text. I would really like to see my friends more often. Getting up early on the weekend to go out with them on a trip to Newcastle is something I really miss."With regular appointments for treatment at Newcastle General Hospital, and physio sessions at home every few weeks, Rachael is slowly getting the better of the condition. She's been prescribed tablets to keep her headaches in check, and has taken up Tai Chi to keep her circulation going. Doctors believe the physiotherapy, combined with Rachael's innate determination, could lead to a full recovery.

She's already planning for her A-Levels next year, with home tuition lined up for Biology, English Lit, Chemistry and Psychology."My concentration has improved now and my headaches are less frequent, although I still have to go everywhere in a wheelchair. Hopefully, after my A-levels I will be well enough to go to university to study medicine. It’s something I've always been interested in, and that's probably increased since I fell ill. I'd like to help other people, especially people with ME."Avril said: "Her consultants are certain that she will make a full recovery, and she's improving all the time. She's just so determined and works so hard — you can see that from her GCSE results. We're so proud of her."

Rachel's a star performer despite illness
We hear so many stories about the struggle some of our young people have in trying to maintain their education whilst battling with an illness such as ME. We thought Rachael's story would help give inspiration to those of you out there facing exams this year. Good luck to you all……AND REMEMBER TO SORT OUT YOUR EXAM CONCESSIONS SOON!
The article below appeared in the Morpeth Herald Rachael Mills, 16, got one of the top five grades nationwide for her English Literature paper, despite only being well enough to attend the first few days of the course at King Edward VI school in Morpeth."We're delighted with her, we never doubted she would do it," said Rachael's Mum, Avril. "We saw all the tears and the frustration during the last two years, but she was just so determined. Even on the days when she really shouldn't have been studying, she did anyway – she just wouldn't give up.” The condition, which causes chronic fatigue and restricted movement, first came to light when Rachael was at the end of Year 9 — the final year before the start of the GCSE course."It first started when I noticed pains in my feet, but I just thought my shoes didn't fit so I kept getting new ones instead," said Rachael, who lives near Rothbury. "I missed the last week of Year 9 and went back for the start of Year 10 but I was far too tired so I was sent home. From then until January I was sleeping all day so the school just left me alone because there wouldn't have been any point in sending a tutor out at that point. At that stage I probably wouldn't get up until 11am. Then I'd come downstairs and have another nap until tea time. When I started sleeping a little less, the school sent out a tutor for me. It was hard getting up in the morning, and when we first started working I was so tired, and my concentration was really bad. I couldn't go out at weekends in case I tired myself out for my class on Monday morning." Tutors were provided for Science and English courses, but Rachael had to guide herself through the Maths syllabus — gaining a remarkable A* in the final exams. But when it came to English Lit, she found studying less of a struggle. Since the onset of her illness she worked her way through a book a day, finding solace in the pages of the Brontes, William Golding, and eventually Shakespeare."She's collected about 300 books since she first fell ill," said Avril. "At the beginning her concentration was so bad she couldn't even remember what she'd read, but now it gives her so much pleasure." "I love reading — it's a bit of an escape for me," said Rachael. "I go up to my room and read and read. I'd already read a few of the GCSE texts before the course started so that probably helped. I love Jane Eyre, and I've started getting into Shakespeare a bit more. When I read Romeo and Juliet for about the third time I finally started to enjoy it!" Myalgic Encephalomyelitis leads to muscle and joint pain, general fatigue, and problems with concentration. Medical science has yet to establish an exact cause, and there is no known cure. When the illness was at its worst, Rachael would be confined to her room with the curtains drawn, distressed by strong light or sudden noises, and panicked by the simple routine tasks she'd previously taken for granted. But thanks to a close circle of friends and three sisters, she's avoided the fate of so many ME sufferers who quickly become isolated and lonely. "I still keep in touch with my best friends," she said. "They often come up to see me when I'm feeling a bit better. I used to get really wound up when I had to use the phone, but it's much easier to send an e-mail or a text. I would really like to see my friends more often. Getting up early on the weekend to go out with them on a trip to Newcastle is something I really miss."With regular appointments for treatment at Newcastle General Hospital, and physio sessions at home every few weeks, Rachael is slowly getting the better of the condition. She's been prescribed tablets to keep her headaches in check, and has taken up Tai Chi to keep her circulation going. Doctors believe the physiotherapy, combined with Rachael's innate determination, could lead to a full recovery. She's already planning for her A-Levels next year, with home tuition lined up for Biology, English Lit, Chemistry and Psychology."My concentration has improved now and my headaches are less frequent, although I still have to go everywhere in a wheelchair. Hopefully, after my A-levels I will be well enough to go to university to study medicine. It’s something I've always been interested in, and that's probably increased since I fell ill. I'd like to help other people, especially people with ME."Avril said: "Her consultants are certain that she will make a full recovery, and she's improving all the time. She's just so determined and works so hard — you can see that from her GCSE results. We're so proud of her."