LEANNE Warburton's last word was "Daddy" before a rare illness struck at just 18 months, robbing her of the power of speech.

Leanne suffers from a rare genetic disorder called tuberous sclerosis, despite being born a healthy normal baby to proud parents George and Anne.

She is now aged 19 and suffers from a catalogue of conditions, including epilepsy and autism.

She has never uttered another word since being a toddler -- and there is no cure for the illness.

But in November, she underwent a revolutionary operation which could control her epilepsy. It involved inserting a £6,000 mechanical device under her arm.

The device, which is similar to a pacemaker and connected to a nerve in her brain, is expected to help combat her severe epilepsy by stimulating the nerve.

Her mother, Anne, aged 51, of Tottington Road, Harwood, said they they did not know whether or not the treatment would be a success, but were hopeful.

She said: "We accept that our lives will never be normal. We just worry about the time when we are not here to look after her."

Anne has three older children who are all healthy and have children of their own.

Leanne's condition seemed to come out of the blue. Almost overnight, Leanne turned from being a lively toddler, who had just learnt to say her first words, to a youngster seriously handicapped by body swellings which crippled her senses.

Her first words suddenly started deteriorating until she stopped talking altogether.

She was diagnosed with tuberous sclerosis when she was two. It affects people differently, with many having the illness without knowing it. For Leanne, it was devastating.

She is unable to communicate verbally, but on good days she is able to understand the spoken word.

Anne, a dinner lady, and her husband, a painter and decorator, say Leanne needs 24-hour one-to-one care.

"It is like having a new born baby all the time," said George, aged 54. "She rarely sleeps and we go without a lot of sleep. But she's also a lot of fun."