A WOMAN whose four-year-old daughter has been diagnosed with a rare vomiting disease wants to raise public awareness of the condition.

Heidi Lennox of Upton was diagnosed with Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome earlier this year, and mum Tiff Lennox says she had never heard of the disease before.

The illness can cause severe nausea, prolonged vomiting and exhaustion over a period of hours, days or even longer. Heidi has suffered from it since the age of two, and it has meant several visits to A and E, sometimes with her being admitted with dehydration and electrolyte imbalance.

Mrs Lennox said the condition can be very upsetting and stressful for children and their parents.

"It is dreadful seeing your own child go through this," she said. "I have felt helpless on many occasions, wishing there was more I could do to ease the pain and sickness that she is so clearly going through when an attack occurs."

In a recent attack, Heidi was sick 25 times and was hospitalised to be given intravenous fluids.

Mrs Lennox has now joined the charity Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome Association UK to help spread the word about the disease, which is poorly understood.

She said: "More doctors need to be aware of the impact of illness upon the sufferer and the family and it is important that health professionals and schools develop the knowledge needed to help patients and their families."

To find out more about the condition, visit cvsa.org.uk.