Epilepsy is…

- a brain disorder that causes seizures

- diagnosed in 87 people a day

- killing 21 people a week

- uncaused or caused by a variety of things (lack of oxygen at birth, a stroke etc)

On the 1st January 2012 strobe lights on holiday caused my first seizure. After an MRI scan a few months later, the doctors said I did not have epilepsy. 

A year later as I got ready for breakfast, I experienced an ‘aura’ (a warning before). After my second seizure caused by tiredness, an EEG confirmed my epilepsy.

Over the next three years I proceeded to have three more seizures. All of my seizures have lasted roughly two minutes and I was placed on Topiramate medication in 2016. Since then my tonic-clonic seizures have been controlled and I continue to work on other aspects.

For those who don’t find the right medication, it takes trialing medications and even surgery. This has mental and physical wellbeing impacts, with every day life being changed by epilepsy and through the procedure.

On 17/07/2020, I am shaving my head to bring awareness to the importance of epilepsy research in the UK. Please help me reach my goal of £400 for the 400 preventable deaths each year.