PRAYERS read in churches in a Northern dale have helped to speed the recovery of an Australian schoolgirl whose life was hanging by a thread.

The family and friends of 14-year-old Johanna Elms prayed for her simultaneously in her home town of Gosford, New South Wales, in Ireland, the US, Uruguay and other parts of the world.

The inspiration for the 24-hour worldwide prayer came from the Reverend Penny Jones, who emigrated to Australia with her family nine months ago. She was formerly rural dean in Stanhope, in Weardale, County Durham.

Johanna's mother, Alison, a nurse, said from her home in Gosford: "It was the right medical treatment which eventually saved my daughter, but without the power of prayer from people all around the world, there is no doubt she would not have survived.

"Johanna says it was only the strength of these prayers that kept her going."

The teenager was taken ill after injuring her head in a fall while playing basketball at school.

She went from a healthy, active child who danced four times a week, played basketball and sailed, to a frail child unable to sit or eat.

Johanna missed two terms of school and was deteriorating week by week.

For months, doctors could not diagnose what was wrong with her and she started to waste away. It was finally discovered that Johanna had a bowel infection and the illness was thwarted with strong antibiotics.

Johanna is still very frail but is now able to attend school four days a week,

Mrs Jones said: "Johanna was a very, very sick girl."

Through contacts the ex-pat vicar had in England and those the Elms family had in other parts of the world, prayers were said for Johanna one Sunday.

Because of the round-the-world nature of the contacts, someone was praying for Johanna at every hour of every day.

The effect, says the family, was immediate.

"The next day, just 24 hours later, she had started to recover," said Mrs Jones. "It was a wonderful thing."

In Weardale, the prayers were organised by Sheila Foster, warden of St Thomas's Church, Stanhope.

In a thank-you letter to the people of the Durham dale, Johanna says: "My whole family and I were deeply touched when we heard what was being arranged in prayers.

"We will continue to hold the memory of this in our hearts for ever."