Reality of epilepsy is explained by sufferer

OLIVIA, 37, RAISES FUNDS FOR CHARITY WHICH HELPS HER

- SARAH ELMES

A PLYMOUTH mobile phone app developer who was diagnosed with epilepsy as a baby wants to raise the profile of what can be an ‘invisible’ illness – in the hope that more money can be raised for a charity which has supported her and many other people.

Olivia Devlin’s parents found out their daughter had epilepsy when she was just eight months old. Olivia, now 37, says she has ‘never known life without medication’ and ‘very nearly died’ in 2017, after reacting to the drugs she was on at the time.

Sadly, Olivia has lost close friends to the disease and says people ‘don’t realise how restrictive it is’. She fears that, because it is not a ‘fashionable’ illness, not enough money is being raised for the Epilepsy Society – something she hopes to change.

That is why, next year, Olivia will be facing her huge fear of heights and taking on a parachute jump to raise money for the charity, and also raise the profile of the illness.

Every year in the UK, approximately 1,000 people die from causes related to epilepsy.