Epilepsy Awareness Piece by Clare Worton Ms Mystic Beauty 2019-21

In 2008 my then 4 year old Son Zack was found making grunting noises, eyes rolling under the dining room table by my husband, I ran down stairs as quickly picked him up and took him to hospital, was told it was a febrile convulsion but I sensed differently. In the early hours of the morning I heard terrible banging and like a clicking noise so I went I to his bedroom to find him on the floor, whole body shaking, eyes rolling and he was making grunting noises.

Again 999 was called and I explained about the previous days episode and this time they kept us in the children's ward, he had multiple seizures and tests and on the Wednesday where he had 4 more seizures and they said that if they didn't sedate him we could lose him, Thursday the consultant told us it was epilepsy and cysts in his brain.

This is where I felt guilty I felt like because I'd carried him I'd done something wrong but in time I learnt this wasn't the case, but also felt like life was in hold and the what ifs came into play like can he go to parties because of the lights , cinema, driving, shops with artificial lighting , I suppose you could say I became an even more protective Mum as I learnt and even had to show staff on how to administer special drugs.

So in 2019 I did the Great North run in aid of Epiley action a way of giving something back.

By Clare Worton Ms Mystic Beauty 2019-21