Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I'm running the Bupa 10,000 this year to raise money for Epilepsy Research UK. 

My marvellous neice Ellen was taken into hospital with seizures last year when she was just 4 months old. Tests found that she had West Syndrome, an uncommon epileptic disorder in infants. It was an incredibly scary time for our family, particularly for her parents. We didn't know what had caused it, whether she would respond to treatment or what her prognosis was. Watching Ellen go through each of the seizures was heartbreaking and not knowing whether or not she was going to suffer lasting effects and end up with severe developmental problems was a constant worry.

We were really fortunate. Ellen's condition was caught really early and she responded well to the treatment. Being categorised as having idiopathic West Syndrome meant that her chances of making a full recovery were much better than if she had an underlying physical condition. It was a hell of a slog though. Ellen was on medication for a long time, which was unpleasant for her and had a number of side effects, plus potentially dangerous in the long term.

Over 12 months later and Ellen is a happy toddler, developing well and bringing lots of joy to us all. She's been off medication for a little while and things are looking good. We still don't know if there will be any longer term effects, and her chances of developing another form of epilepsy further down the road are increased, but we all know how lucky we are.

We are in this position because of the work done by Epilepsy Research UK. They support and promote basic and clinical scientific research into the causes, treatments and prevention of epilepsy. Epilepsy Research UK are the only national charity in the UK that is exclusively dedicated to funding independent research into this condition. 

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So please dig deep and donate now.