A SHAW youngster has been able to uncover her legs in the playground for the first time - thanks to cups of special tea.
Bright little Jennifer Knight (9) is all smiles after conquering severe eczema with the help of traditional medicine from China.
The tea, concocted from a blend of natural ingredients, is so nasty that it has to be downed through a straw with a peg on the nose.
But Jennifer can put up with the taste.
It is better than the tears she shed during seven years of hell from the skin complaint.

Hospital

Only weeks ago, the sad schoolgirl would have to be daubed with thick creams and wrapped in bandages until she looked like a mummy.
Her case was so extreme that doctors told her she would suffer for the rest of her life and once wanted to admit her to hospital.
But thanks to Mr Bai , of the Manchester based Chinese Medical Centre, Jennifer is now leading the life of a normal little girl.
"It is a godsend. This summer is the first Jennifer has been able to wear shorts. She is so proud of her brown legs,² said her mother, Pam Knight.
"The eczema started aged two. It was a nightmare, she was literally covered in it and had to take her to hospital because we didn't know how to cope.²
Over the years, Jennifer of Scarr Lane, Shaw, was put on dozens of special diets and creams by specialists - but nothing worked.
The youngster would be left with open sores that needed pain-killers and antibiotics, and itching that stopped her sleeping at night.
Mrs Knight said "There she was, in tears, saying ŒI'm sorry for waking you up mummy¹ it was so sad that we would end up having a little cry together.
"Jennifer always had to be different. She couldn't do this, she couldn't do that. Young children can be very cruel and she was teased at school.
"The last straw was when she developed eczema all over her body, instead of only her limbs, and the doctors wanted her to stay in hospital.
"I knew that that we had to try different methods. We were pretty sceptical about homeopathic treatments, but desperate for any help.
The Knights considered several alternative treatments, even hypnotism, but finally went for a consultation at the Chinese Medical Centre.
There doctors combine their training in conventional Western medicine with traditional Chinese medicine to treat a host of illnesses and conditions.
Mrs Knight said: "The treatment was not cheap, but it is worth any price to let Jennifer lead a normal life like her brother and sister.`Hero`
"After her examination and case reading, Mr Bai gave Jennifer these granule tea-bags.
"She has drunk the nine-week supply and hasn't a blemish left.
Now happy Jennifer may add a little Chinese study to her usual homework - just enough to enable her to write a thank-you letter to her eczema hero, Mr Bai .
"Everyone said I would grow out of it, but then the doctor said I would have it forever and I was really upset, said Jennifer.
"The tea was disgusting. I had sweets straight away to get rid of the taste, but it was better than all the bandages and hundreds of creams.

For the past 18 years I have been suffering from epilepsy and taking anti-epilepsy medication to control it. However, the epileptic fits became more frequent last Spring I had 4 seizures within 6 weeks. Each time I fell down and lost consciousness and my body became black and blue. In addition, every size weeks I had a sore ulcer in my mouth, which was so painful that I was unable to eat or drink anything at all. The quality of my life was very poor. I was most depressed, stressed and despairing. At the same time I also had a stiff neck due to the epileptic falls. the pain and stiffness in my neck made me unable to turn round.

I went to Bolton Chinese Medical Centre to see Mrs Xuan He. After enquiring about my medical history in detail, she made a diagnosis from the perspective of traidtional Chinese Medicine and framed a fine treatment plan for me which included 2 stages:
1 In the first stage -the use of acupuncture to relieve the pain and stiffness in my neck and herbal drink to treat the sore ulcer in my mouth.
2. In the second stage - applying Chinese Patent Herbal Medicine to control my epilepsy. Then I began the acupuncture treatment and herbal drink. After taking the herbal drink for one week the sore ulcer in my mouth went and never returned. From then on my situation improved. After 5 sessions of acupuncture the pain and stifness in my neck had also gone.
After finishing my first stage treatment I went on holiday for 5 weeks. During my holiday I had 3 epileptic seizures. One was in the mountains and was very dangerous.
After my return I fell into deep depression. I went to see my GP and he asked me to increase the dose of medication for anti-epilepsy. Since I knew that if I followed his advice the side effects of anti-epilepsy medication would make me worse and worse. I would become dozy and inattentive and my memory would fail, so that I would not be able finish my learing career.
Just at that time, Mrs Xuan He telephoned me to say that my herbal medicine was ready for collection.
I went to see her. Mrs Xuan He said: "This Chinese Herbal Medicine has both the effects of anti-epilepsy and it enhnaces the function of the immune system. It took more than ten years for the researchers in China to be certain of its effects on epilepsy. In fact this prescription originated several hundred years ago. It is effective in dealin gwith may problesm due to syndrome ( corresponding to Zheng in Chinese medicine) of Qi's deficiency (Qi is pronounced Chi, corresponding to energy) and accumulation of phlegm';
From then on I took these capsules of Chinese Herbal Medicine for 4 months and during this period there was no epileptic seizure at all. Later, I did have a seizure due to an argument with someone. Mrs Xuan He then added a session of acupuncture and continued my treatment as planned. Another seizure took place due to my stopping this herbal medicine of my own accord.
Now my memory is much better. I can pay more attention to my learning carreer. After several months treatment of Herbal Medicine I passed and A-level in my English programme. Now I am high in spirits. You know, I owe all this to the fact that Mrs Xuan He and Chinese Medicine have enabled me to live a normal life.

Julia Aldred has just had an a c u p u n c t u r e session to ease arthritis - but she’s talking about the benefits of her treatment for asthma at the Chinese Medical and Skin Centre. After years on steroids (which she believes caused her arthritis) and using a nebuliser four times a day. Julia went to see Mrs Xuan He. Asthma had made her life impossible. For 18 months she saw Mrs Xuan He every week and swears by the results. “If you are really ill you will try anything and they worked for me.” says Julia. Julia is just one of many patients who sing the praises of this form of medicine. Mrs Xuan He demonstrates the relationship between the two types of medicine by drawing overlapping circles.

There is an area in common and larger areas that are different
in approach. The emphasis in TCM is on understanding the imbalance in the body an illness indicates and treating
it using the principles of Yin and Yang to restore balance.The success of TCM in this country depends on the professionalism of the practitioners and their ability to communicate
in English. They work one-to-one with patients, understanding not only their symptoms ---but also their lifestyle,
as the physical and the social environment may affect health. Mrs Xuan He cured the IBS with a herbal concoction and afterwards addressed
the emotional relief from tinnitus, chest infections, addiction, angina, fatigue, the problems a stroke creates. Anyone distressed by a chronic condition could well find relief here.

Of course many patients go to
the Chinese Medical Centre as a last resort. They’ve given up hope on the
conventional treatment they may have received over long period, so it is important to recognise that it will need to spend time restoring the balance of the body.