THE family of a Caerwent teenager who died of Toxic Shock Syndrome say the musical launch to their awareness campaign was a success.

The family of Natasha Scott-Falber, who died aged 14 of TSS from using her first tampon, officially launched their awareness campaign, backed by the Free Press, on Saturday at the Millennium Centre in Cardiff.

They were handing out leaflets on symptoms and had performances from the musical theatre group WAWWA based in Cwmbran and where Natasha was a member.

Mandy Scott, Natasha's mother, said: "It was a fabulous start to the campaign. There were 300 to 400 people listening to us before the Lion King show.

"Many people in the audience didn't know about TSS but about three people I spoke to said they had been affected by TSS. One person had lost their son, another a daughter and someone else had a relative who had lost all their toes.”

She added: “I was quite surprised to meet people who have been affected by TSS in a relatively small audience. A number of people took a wad of leaflets to hand out to people including a nurse, a GP and a school teacher.”

According to Toxic Shock Syndrome Information Service (TSSIS), around half the reported cases of TSS are associated with women using tampons, but it can also be caused by infections following burns, boils, insect bites or following surgery. The condition can be treated with antibiotics if diagnosed early.

The family will be holding a 13 day awareness campaign starting with a 5km fun run on February 14 at the Old Station in Tintern.

The awareness campaign will culminate in a gala concert on February 26 which will become National Toxic Shock Syndrome Awareness Day and would have been Natasha’s 17th birthday.

For more information visit http://tssaware.org.uk/