AFTER 15 years of battling a rare degenerative disease an Ipswich woman is finally at peace today.During her battle with Battens disease, Limara Ashbury, had lost her sight, mobility, speech and ability to eat normally.

AFTER 15 years of battling a rare degenerative disease an Ipswich woman is finally at peace today.

During her battle with Battens disease, Limara Ashbury, had lost her sight, mobility, speech and ability to eat normally.

Diagnosed at nine-years-old Limara was told she would have a life expectancy of 20 years but last Friday, just three days before her death, she celebrated her 24th birthday.

Her parents, Edward and Doreen, said it was a special day spent with them and her four sisters Desiree, Nyree, Baccara and Fallon.

Mr Ashbury, of Thistle Close, Ipswich, said: “It was such a special day. We are a very close family and it was lovely to all be together to celebrate yet another year of Limara's life.

“The closeness in the family was reinforced in the reaction to Limara's death too. The phone has been ringing constantly and people have been popping around to offer condolences.

“She had a lot of friends too. She used to go to a day care centre called Genesis in the town and made a lot of friends there.

“She had her own carer from the centre called Kelly and they got on really well.”

Despite the illness Limara's family described her as a mischievous character who was strong willed and bossy.

Desiree, 33, said: “She always had a good sense of humour and even when the disease progressed she would smile when you told her a joke.

“She had a lot of courage too.”

Limara had not let her illness get in the way of doing things and her family described her as a jet setter who had visited Disneyland in Florida twice and other countries including Spain since her diagnosis.

Mrs Ashbury said: “Her illness put a huge amount of stress on the family and although she was going to a day care centre she would need a lot of attention in the evenings.

“She would have a lot of seizures and there was nothing we could do to help her through them so we just had to watch.

“I am glad the suffering has finally stopped.

“The thing I will remember the most about my daughter is her smile and her laugh. I think everyone in the family will remember that forever.

“She had a really cheeky laugh that was easily recognisable.

“We would like to thank everyone who helped Limara through her life. We had so much help and we couldn't have got this far without it.”

Limara's funeral will be held next Friday at the Old Cemetery, Ipswich, at 1pm.

N If you would like to pay tribute to Limara's write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN or send us an e-mail to eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk