THE family of a seriously-ill young woman have made a heart-wrenching plea for council bosses to improve her care.

Louise Clarke, aged 20, of Agecroft Road West, Prestwich, has battled health problems all her life and must visit Salford Royal Hospital three times a week to have kidney dialysis treatment.

For the last year, Louise's devoted mum Teresa has been battling to receive the funding so a treatment room can be built at their home, but Bury Council say it is not their policy.

Teresa, aged 44, appealed to Bury South MP Ivan Lewis to intervene in her case and though Mr Lewis asked town hall bosses to reconsider, the decision stayed the same.

The family also asked Salford Royal Hospital and the British Kidney Patient Association for funding but they too were unable to offer help.

The cost for the room would be between £30,000 and £40,000 and, though the family is able to partially fund the construction themselves, refurbishment cannot begin without extra cash.

Teresa said: "We understand that the council is only doing what policy says, but it is disappointing for us.

"Dialysis can take seven hours a time, including travel to and from Salford Royal Hospital and it lasts even longer if something goes wrong.

"It's energy sapping for Louise and it's also hard for the rest of the family. A treatment room would drastically transform our lives."

When she was only two weeks old, Louise was diagnosed with congenital nephritic syndrome, which causes swelling to occur in the kidneys and can lead to kidney failure.

Louise’s grandmother Beryl Midgley said: "The doctors at Pendlebury Children’s Hospital didn't have much hope of Louise surviving this disease.

"The family made the decision that, no matter what, we had to keep Louise alive.

"When you looked at her, she was still smiling even though she was so very poorly. This reminded us of how special and loving Louise was and still is.

"It is heartbreaking to think of what she is going through, but you know when you look at her big blue eyes and her always smiling face, you made the right decision."

Louise had a kidney transplant and, though the procedure eventually worked, there were complications, which led the youngster to suffer fits, partial sight loss and brain damage.

As a student at St Monica's RC High School in Prestwich, she was able to gain some independence, though her kidney failed when she was a teenager and she had to go back on dialysis in hospital.

After leaving school, Louise stayed on at St Monica's sixth form college studying catering and now studies hair and beauty there.

Doctors have told her family that she has a five-per-cent chance of finding a suitable kidney for another transplant and they have advised that Louise could suffer life-threatening illnesses, such as blood clots.

Mrs Midgley added: "Louise is in and out of hospital but keeps smiling.

"When you hear her cry at night in her tiny box room, she will ask her family and God in heaven to help her and make her well even if she can't be like other girls.

"All we are asking for is a grant to build an extension to give Louise a grown-up bedroom and a room where she can by dialysed at home and spend more time with family and siblings."

A Bury Council spokesman said: "We have visited the family and explained on several occasions that, under eligibility criteria, funding cannot be provided through disabilities facilities grants to build an extra room for home dialysis purposes as this is a medical need, not a social care one.

"We have, however, advised them that we will arrange for an assessment to be carried out, which may assist the family in their application to the NHS for a pod to be attached to the house."