Adelle was bitten by a tick 23 years ago now she fears it has infected her children

A mother suffering from a disease she contracted 23 years ago from a tick bite fears she may have passed it on by breast-feeding her children.

Adelle Huckins, 33, has been plagued by numerous illnesses after contracting Lyme Disease a bacterial infection carried by ticks when she was 11.

The mum-of-three from Redcar, Cleveland, discovered she has passed it on to daughter Kaitlin, eight, following tests in Germany.

She also fears sons Joshua, 11, and Dexter, three, may also be carrying it, as well as husband, Rob.

But the NHS will not carry out tests on Rob or the children.

The only option is to fund their own tests in Germany.

Adelle, who has joined a campaign raising awareness of the devastation Lyme Disease can cause, said: “Left untreated it can be fatal. That is what breaks my heart. If they have got it, it needs to be treated as soon as possible.”

She was diagnosed in October 2011.

For years she had suffered medical conditions such as sickness, hearing difficulties and a drooping left eye.

She said the root of her problems lay in a school trip to Germany in 1991 when she was bitten.

Tests have shown Lyme Disease can be passed on through intimate contact with a partner or during pregnancy, although this is rare.

Adelle said there is a chance it could have been contracted by her children through breast feeding.

She said: “There are studies in America that show it can be passed on through breast milk. I breast fed my children.”

Dexter, three, suffered croup as a baby, as well as other problems.

Kaitlin has had growth problems and Joshua has developed Kohler’s, a rare bone disease, which turned bones in his feet into “jelly”.

It has been linked to Lyme Disease, said Adelle. They have had to pay up to £80,000 for tests and treatment in Germany.

Adelle and Rob have sold their home and are now fundraising for testing and treatment.

Adelle said: “It is having a devastating effect on our family life. It has been put on hold. We gave up our house and the kids had to see their possessions being sold.

“We’ve had to put out a plea for help, just for a dining table. It is demeaning and demoralising.”

A Lyme Disease Action spokesman said the bacteria which causes the disease had been found in breast milk. But it is not commonly thought to be passed on through feeding, because powerful acid in the baby’s stomach lining should be enough to kill it.

Stella Huyshe-Shires, LDA chairman, said: “Treatment is available for anyone who is diagnosed, but the difficulty is getting a diagnosis.

“Lyme Disease symptoms overlap those of many other diseases and conditions, some of which are treated completely differently.”

For further information about Lyme Disease or to help the Huckin family fundraising, visit their website.