I am running the London Marathon this year for Epilepsy Action. Epilepsy Action is a charity that improves the lives of everyone affected by epilepsy b giving advice, improving healthcare, funding critical research and campaigning for change. Epilepsy is one of the most common serious neurological conditions in the world. It affects around 600,000 people in the UK. This means that almost 1 in 100 people in the UK have epilepsy. Around 87 people are diagnosed with it in the UK every day. 

When someone has epilepsy, it means they have a tendency to have epileptic seizures.

Anyone can have a one-off seizure, but this doesn’t always mean they have epilepsy. It is usually only diagnosed if someone has had more than one seizure, and doctors think it is likely they could have more.

Epilepsy can start at any age and there are many different types. Some types of epilepsy last for a limited time and the person eventually stops having seizures. But for many people epilepsy is a life-long condition.

Despite the high number of people living with epilepsy in the UK I only knew of one person who had the condition: a boy at my school. 

Tragically last year this condition took his life. 

For some reason I didn’t actually think you could die of epilepsy. You hear stories of people who have it and either take medication and don’t have episodes or who have fits and come round relitavely quickly. However on reflection after Harry’s death it became clear to me how typically naive that thinking was and actually how unbelievably complicated, difficult and scary living with the condition must be. I suppose my naivety stemmed from the fact that the one person I knew who had it was so joyous. 

I have delibarated over writing this for some time because I didn’t know Harry particularly well and didn’t want to do any disservice to him by underplaying what an incredible man he was through a lack of personal stories. But I can absolutely say that he was one of the kindest and purest people I have met and I know this is an unanimous feeling for everyone lucky enough to have known him. 

Running for epilepsy action in his memory is what marathons are for and I hope that you might take a second to research this condition as to better understand what can be done to improve the lives of people who have it!