'I push through pain of epilepsy to raise awareness'

A teenager has said she struggled with her epilepsy diagnosis but found purpose in joining a charity to promote awareness of the condition.

Elina Patel, who found out she had epilepsy a decade ago, said: "When I got diagnosed, I had no idea what this condition was. It was very hard. No words can describe what I had to go through."

Ms Patel, 18, from Walton-on-Thames, now works with the charity Young Epilepsy as a Youth Voice Network member and "feels grateful" that she can help the next generation by promoting awareness.

Lara Carr, head of research at Young Epilepsy, said that while epilepsy is not a mental health condition, "we know that young people with epilepsy are four times more likely to experience mental health difficulties than their peers".