York mum disgusted by appeal tactics

Laura Seammen, from Whitby Drive, whose five-year-old daughter Chloe suffers from the disease, said she was disgusted by an appeal for cash that was posted to her.

She said: "On the envelope was what looked like handwriting and it was a letter from a 16-year-old girl who was an eczema sufferer and was asking me to help her get a better quality of life.

"In it she was saying that she wishes she was dead and that she couldn't remember the last time she smiled or laughed. I read it and I was really choked.

"But when I opened the envelope I found a letter already written to this girl with my name on it, and a box for me to fill in saying how much I was donating.

"I thought it was sickening to use a letter like this as a way of getting money out of people, particularly when the people who are receiving it are living with eczema and that what this 16-year-old was saying is how our own children are feeling."

The Eczema Society said today the letter was genuine.

Chief executive Margaret Cox said: "We are very concerned that Laura feels we have acted 'insensitively'. Our intention was to communicate the reality of eczema for just one 16-year-old girl in her own words.

"Any comments we receive are taken very seriously and are considered when reviewing each campaign."

Mrs Seammen is a member of the Eczema Society and her annual membership fee of £15 is now up for renewal.

"I've written to the society saying that I thought this was extremely insensitive and that I won't be renewing my membership," she said.

"I go through enough emotions with my five-year-old's eczema, never mind getting something like this to depress me more."

Mrs Cox said: "As a small charity fighting for recognition, acknowledgement and support for people with eczema, the National Eczema Society would be very saddened if Laura withdrew her membership."

She said she intended to contact Laura directly to discuss her views.

Updated: 08:47 Tuesday, May 21, 2002