A DISABLED woman’s 23-year battle for justice is in desperate need of funds or it could come to an end.

Jodie Marchant was a healthy baby until she was given the combined jab at the age of 14 months, according to her parents.

Her family first launched a campaign in 2000 to win compensation for the now 24-year-old, who developed autism and other conditions after receiving eight vaccines at once.

Now 18 years on her family are still funding the fight to prove that their daughter was neglected by her doctors.

Money for the campaign is still needed and after hearing Jodie’s story, Ruth Acaster is determined to raise funds to help pay legal fees to maintain the battle.

Ruth, from Worthing, said: “The family have been paying for the barrister and they have the funds up until January to continue the fight but at any point the money could stop.

“The barrister is working at a hugely discounted price and believes the family have a really strong case because the family believe the doctor broke the consent law as he did not tell them what was included in the vaccines.”

In the Daily Echo’s original report of the campaign, Jodie’s parents Bill and Patricia were not told why their daughter’s measles mumps and rubella (MMR) jab was combined with diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough and polio.

Their battle for compensation was dealt a bitter blow in 2000 when the Vaccine Damage Tribunal refused the Marchants a £40,000 payout.

The family says the tribunal accepted that Jodie was “vaccine damaged”, but did not have the power to consider her claim because of the unusual circumstances of the way the vaccinations were combined.

The story takes on a sadder tone after Jodie’s father Bill passed away over Christmas - who was Jodie’s primary carer.

But this has urged Ruth and others to keep fundraising. She is a member of the Arnica - a network of parents concerned about the vaccination programmeand interested in the role of Natural Health in disease.

Jodie cannot talk, has difficulty eating and suffers chronic bowel problems which cause her to scream in pain. She needs 24/7 care.

Ruth, 49, heard about Jodie’s story through the Arnica network of parents. “I just felt helpless for her. I am a single mother myself and to think about what Patricia now has to go through makes me determined to help raise money for them.”

Ruth will plunge 10,000ft with Goskydive in Salisbury on February 18 to raise money.

To find out more visit justgiving.com/crowdfunding/justiceforjodiemarchant.