Matthew was diagnosed with epilepsy in his early 20's, and this was under control.  He had only had a few grand mal seizures since then, all bought on by physical and mental exhaustion, and illness (and previously a few too many beers!)  This time, however, Matthew was just unlucky, because he was on his own in a hotel room in Qatar, and no one was there to keep him safe while he seized. 

Mat died being the best man he could be.  He pushed himself to the limit trying to be a good employee, and a wonderful husband and father.  He was nearly at the end of his time working away from his family in Qatar, and our boat was nearly ready to sail after countless hours of work and worry from Mat, doing everything he could to make it a fun and safe adventure for all of us.  We were all pushing through, looking at the finishing line when we could relax and enjoy the summer together.  Mat never got to sail the boat that he has been dreaming of for the last 10 years, and we never got to tell him how proud we are of him.

I have chosen to support Young Epilepsy, because seizures are scary for adults, but must be utterly terrifying for children, who can't understand what is happening to them, and can't explain how they are feeling.  Children with epilepsy are more likely to have behavioural, learning and mental health issues.  Young Epilepsy helps support children through diagnosis, treatment and coping with their illness, as well as conducting research into causes, early diagnosis and management of associated problems.  

Please give what you can to save other families from the stress and heartbreak caused by this unpredictable but controllable disease.  Thank you so much xxx