First Time Out In 20 Years

A woman is celebrating an early Christmas present - she has beaten her dread of the big outdoors.

Pamela Gilham,aged 68,has spent the last 20 years of her life as a prisoner in her own home.

Terrified to venture outside,she has remained indoors since 1979.

This time last year,agoraphobia sufferer Pamela would not even put the rubbish out.

She spent her days confined to her home in Maidstone,Kent,and even missed her mother's funeral and granddaughter's wedding as she could not face leaving the house.

Today she was looking forward to a "normal" Christmas after finally overcoming her illness.

In the last 20 years,the only time she ever plucked up the courage to leave her home was to visit her dying father.

The trip was so distressing it was more than three months before she was able to return home.

Pamela was first diagnosed with the condition 22 years ago.

Although it seemed she was recovering in 1980,she was knocked back by the death of her two-year-old grandson from cancer.

After her niece Wendy Knell was murdered in Tunbridge Wells in 1987,she gave up trying.

During the years she suffered from agoraphobia,she refused medical help.

It was only after she had a stroke in February that the agoraphobia began to improve.

With the support of her GP,occupational therapists,district nurses and care assistants Carole Makepeace and Lynne Davies,she started to rebuild her confidence.

In October she took a giant leap forward when she made a trip with her two care assistants to a garden centre in Maidstone.

Her husband Dennis,73,said "When Pam was out,I was nearly having panic attacks myself.I think I smoked about 10 cigarettes.

"I expected something to happen but she came back full of beans with a big smile on her face."

Since October Mrs Gilham,whose speech was affected by her stroke,has been to visit relatives,to shops and to see the Christmas lights around Maidstone.

Her husband added "It has been a team effort between all her carers and Pam herself.

"We are going to give her a great Christmas this year.We have got double reason to celebrate.

"It is sad she has had to miss out on so much of life and we have not been able to go out together.

"But it is a relief to think she has got over an illness and I like to think she is an inspiration to other sufferers who may have given up."