A mum-of-two has released a shocking video of herself screaming with pain to raise awareness of the horrors of living with Lyme disease.

Heidi Luckraft, 39, was diagnosed with the illness after she was bitten by a tick while walking her dog in 2012.

She fell ill with the bacterial infection, which can cause neurological damage and crushing fatigue, but can be treated with antibiotics if treated early enough.

But shockingly Heidi's condition was not spotted for three years - after she was misdiagnosed with chronic tiredness, polycystic ovaries and MS.

Doctors have now told the children's entertainer the devastating news that her illness is so advanced it is untreatable in the UK.

The former children's entertainer is facing a race against time to raise £60,000 to have potentially life-saving treatment in the USA.

Yesterday (Fri) she released the harrowing footage of herself howling in agony and shouting "it hurts so bad" in a bid to highlight awareness of the condition.

Heidi, who lives with husband Mark, 41, and their two children Ocian, 16, and Rihanna, 13, in Beeston, Notts., said: "I really want to help others as it left me fighting for my life in hospital.

"It could have been prevented by an early diagnosis.

"It isn't the NHS' fault. It's overstretched, underfunded and they need more trained doctors and urgent funding from the government.

"It's no life having to live with Lyme disease and I just wish others suffering would be able to get treatment and diagnosis sooner."

After remortgaging her house in order to get specialist treatment in Germany, Heidi's condition has improved slightly.

She underwent 'Infusio' treatment, which works to restore the immune function and rid the body of harmful parasites.

She said: "I've stopped having the seizures and shakes and I've been able to reduce pain medication by 70 per cent."

Heidi is also looking into helping to introduce more rigorous and accurate blood testing for Lyme disease as only 30 percent of cases in the UK are correctly diagnosed, others are mistaken for similar chronic conditions.

The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence is due to draw up guidelines in 2018 setting out the care that those diagnosed with the condition should receive.

Last year Heidi's lifelong friend, Jodie Deegan, 34, said: "She kept it a secret for a long time.

"She is an amazing woman. She has been through so much.

"We want people to recognise the signs. There are no trained Lyme doctors in the UK so hers went misdiagnosed.

"They thought it was ME or MS. Then said it was chronic fatigue or polycystic ovaries. By the time they noticed it was too late."

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection with is spread to humans through infected ticks.

There is currently no vaccine to protect against the disease.

Symptoms are usually present within weeks of getting the disease, but can sometimes take years to appear.

These symptoms include pain and swelling of the joints, problems with the nervous system, heart problems, and meningitis.

If caught early enough it can be treated through a course of antibiotics, whereas a late diagnosis can lead to heart failure.

Dr Hany Elsheikha, associate professor of parasitology at the University of Nottingham, said: "If it is caught early enough, Lyme disease can be effectively treated and cured with antibiotics.

"However, untreated, it will cause the bacteria to be distributed throughout the body and cause permanent damage to the nervous system and the muscles and joints.

"Some people can live with this for years, maybe for decades, but it depends and some will respond differently to the bacteria and the treatment."