LITTLE Tia-Mae might look like an ordinary seven-year-old but she never eats or drinks and is fed overnight with a pump directly into her gut.

Her mum Sue McCarthy is desperately hoping to take her to the United States because she has exhausted resources here.

Tia-Mae was born three months prematurely with a large gap between her oesophagus (food pipe) and her stomach at Southampton

"There were seven members of staff round the incubator, waiting to whisk her off," said Sue, now 42.

"I was given a Polaroid picture - you didn't get to touch her."

Now Tia lives at home in Daggons Road, Alderholt, with Sue and three-year-old brother Finley.

But that first year she spent mostly in hospital where she had major surgery.

At one point she had to be resuscitated.

"She looked absolutely terrible, they prepared me for the worst," said Sue.

"Then she seemed to turn a corner and come through, it but since that day she hasn't eaten or drunk a thing."

Sue is full of praise for all the professionals who have treated her at Salisbury and for Victoria School where she is very happy.

"They don't think it's (her not eating) a physical thing," said Sue.

"The paediatrician at Salisbury said in all of his time he hadn't come across anything like this."

Sue's father has read an article about a treatment in the United States where they guarantee they will get children eating within a few weeks.

Unfortunately the article has been lost and in spite of surfing the net Sue has not been able to trace the source and appeals to Echo readers to help.

"There is no other professional who can say to me 'this is the reason why she doesn't eat'," said Sue whose daughter has been seen at Great Ormond Street Hospital to no avail.

"If I can come up with a name her paediatrician will check it out.

"Unless I go to America I won't know. I feel that I have got no other options."

If you can help, call Sue on 07760 192192.

First published: November 2, 2005