Thank you for taking the time to visit our Just Giving page. Our Ryan passed away suddenly in July 2024 at the age of 28. SUDEP is the sudden, unexpected death of someone with epilepsy, who was otherwise healthy, and no other cause of death could be found.

The Challenge

Ryan hated running, more than a cat hates water, so naturally, my dad (Dave) and I thought it would be the perfect tribute to his memory to lace up our trainers and tackle the Great North Run to raise awareness of SUDEP. We’re hoping to raise £700 for Epilepsy Society and we’d love for you to join us in any way you can, whether that’s donating to the cause or spreading the word. Every bit helps, and together, we can make a real difference in Ryan's memory.

About Ryan

So where do we begin with Ryan… Ryan was the definition of laid back, easy going and kind natured. He was a charmer with his infectious laugh and cheeky humour. He was smart and was not afraid to let you know that either. He was the life and soul of the party and had a lasting impression on anyone he met. Underneath all the charm and cheekiness there was a soft side to Ryan, he was extremely caring and would go out of his way to help anyone, he had a heart as big as his personality. He was extremely talented in many aspects of his life, anything he put his mind to he could achieve. He skydived, became a certified scuba diver and travelled to many countries just to name a few. In 2015 Ryan had his first Grand Mal seizure, he had a few more seizures in the following few years. Ryan was never actually diagnosed with Epilepsy, however he was put on preventative medication and did not have a seizure for several years. He never let this get in the way of his life and he lived it to the full. Ryan was a huge Liverpool fan, he would watch them at any chance he could, even getting up at early hours of the morning to watch them whilst living in Australia. So… with that being said… Ryan, you’ll never walk (run) alone.

The Charity

The Epilepsy Society is a charity that is committed to researching and understanding the main causes of Epilepsy and reducing the risks of SUDEP. You can read more about the research here - https://epilepsysociety.org.uk/what-we-do/research. A new study has named our Medical Director, Professor Ley Sander, as one of the five most influential authors, worldwide, in the research literature on SUDEP. Prof Sander commented: “This is why SUDEP is such an important area of research for us at the Epilepsy Society and why I am personally determined to throw everything we have at understanding more about the cause, risk and how we can mitigate for it.

1 in 1,000 people per year

“Recent studies estimate the incidence of SUDEP at about one death per 1,000 people with epilepsy, per year.”