After Alison Carter's daughter Amy was diagnosed with lupus and epilepsy as a teen, pain became part of her daily life.
Amy, from Halifax, Yorkshire, would take up to 30 pills-a-day but in December it all became too much - and she died of an accidental overdose aged 23.
She had taken oxycodone, a potentially addictive opiod which can be deadly if misused.
Back in April, the health secretary said all opiod painkillers should carry prominent warnings about addiction, following a 60 per cent hike in prescriptions over the past decade.
“She suddenly had difficulty walking up the stairs aged 14, I knew something was wrong. "I don’t know what’s up with me Mum," Amy said. "I can barely move my legs." She struggled even taking tiny steps, but the GP said it was just growing pains.
As the months passed, Amy continued to get worse. She was constantly exhausted and would collapse in bed the moment she got home from school. We went back to the doctors for a second opinion, and this time Amy was given blood tests.
She was diagnosed with lupus. "There is no cure," the doctor said. I looked at Amy. She was only 14. She had her whole life ahead of her. I bit back tears”.
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