My name is Belinda and my sister is Kellymaire who lives with epilepsy. She was diagnosed with this after suffering from encephalitis in June 2013 just after her 21st birthday. It was a very sudden thing with no warning of what was coming her way. 

Kelly was a young 21 year old working as a nursery nurse going about her life normal. Then one day at work she felt fanit and took what was to be first of many seizures. She was taken to the southern general A&E by ambulance and we attended to see how she was. Kelly looked fine and was laughing away, wanted to go home as she didn't see a big deal. The hospital decided to keep her in over night for observation. 

So the next morning rolls around, I called to ask when she was getting out. But to my shock they told me "your sister has just been transfered to intensive care, as we couldn't control her seizures and she was struggling to breath". I was in shock and so beyond confused. I called her boyfriend and we both meet at the intensive care unit. The nurse prepared us for what Kelly would look like but never did I have a picture in my head. When we walked in there was tubes, wires, machines, needles and just Kelly. She was on a ventilation machine and a feeding tube. Both me and her boyfriend cried so hard and hugged each other. I couldn't believe that my little sister was laying like this, when she was laughing just the evening before.

Days went past Kelly stayed the same and couldn't stop take seizures. The staff told my mum and dad if they couldn't stop the seizures she could die. I remember been told this and spoke to Kelly in her ear and told her you fight this now!! No way was Kelly going at this young an age. The following day the staff phoned to say the ventilation was out and Kelly was breathing on her own. When we got to visit she was confused, dribbling from the mouth, wanted all the wires off her and couldn't understand why she couldn't speak. It took a few days, writing on a wipe board for us to get communication going. All she wanted to do was go for a pee by herself and not have a catheter in. We started to laugh and giggle, the old Kelly was coming back. 

She was transfered to the high dependance unit at neurology and stayed there for a good week or two. The hospital staff took what felt like ages to tell us what actually had happened to Kelly. Finally they hit out with encephalitis!! We all looked confused but turns out her our antibodies had attack her brain. She stayed in hospital well over a month and finally got home. But sadly when she came home she came home with epilepsy.

Over the last 7 years Kelly has lost her driving licence, her job and sometimes what feels like her life. She's forever saying she wishes epilepsy would just go away and have a normal life. It gets her down so much and it's very heart breaking at times. But I like to remind her that through all this she's a very strong women. Kelly is a great natured girl and would do anything for anyone. She has went on to have a beautiful son and is a great mammy. 

Last year she attended The William Quarrier Scottish Epilepsy Centre and stayed for 6 weeks. She is now going in again on 6th July 2020. During her last stayed we could visit and give her lots of cuddles and support. This time around because of the covid 19 she won't receive visitors and will be confine to her room for the first few days. This has made her very emotional because she's a mum and just wants to hug her son. Thankfully we have technology and can text, call and video chat. She's a strong lady and will smash this stay.

As her sister I feel I want to do something to show her I'm right behind her. So I've decided for each day she's staying in the scottish epilepsy centre I will run, walk or cycle 5k each day. I will raise as much funds as I can for The William Quarrier Scottish Epilepsy Centre too. 

The centre is based in Glasgow and is a independent hospital, managed by health and social charity Quarriers. This is the only 12 bed residential assessment and treatment centre in Scotland for adults aged 16 years and over with epilepsy. It has state of the art facilities and world class diagnostic technology. 

For more information go to https://quarriers.org.uk/epilepsy/patients/inpatients/

Thank you so very much for taken the time to read this and your donation is so grateful.