Charity fighting epilepsy deaths nears fundraising target

SUDEP Action needs another £10,000 to pay for its research

A charity working to develop a device to prevent epilepsy-related deaths is nearing its fundraising target.

It wants to reduce the risk of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) by monitoring the breathing of those with the condition at night.

Oxfordshire-based SUDEP Action wants tests on a small, wearable device that alerts those nearby if breathing stops.

The charity has already raised more than £150,000, but needs another £10,000 to pay for its research.

Fundraising manager for SUDEP Action Rachel Groves said the device was small and attaches to the throat.

She added: "It's been tested so far on people with apnea, so what that means is people who stop breathing in their sleep.

"It's been shown to be incredibly effective in those trials. What we now want to do is to fund that device to be tested on people with epilepsy."

Jade Hudson's son Leo has more than 20 epileptic seizures a day

Jade Hudson, from Oxford, is supporting the charity because her three-year-old son Leo has a rare form of epilepsy that causes more than 20 seizures a day.

She said: "It just breaks my heart. I just didn't know what to do.

"It's round the corner every day."

Ms Hudson is holding a fundraising day in the Red Lion pub in Marston on 29 August to pay for equipment to help her son, with excess funds being donated to Wantage-based SUDEP Action.