Teenager shares video of epileptic seizure in bid to end the stigma surrounding condition

A TEENAGER has taken the brave decision to share a video of herself in the throes of epileptic se izu res i n a bid to raise awareness of the condition.

Natasha Fortune, 15, from Douglas, was diagnosed with epilepsy four years ago.

Doctors have still not been able to fine-tune her medication for her condition, which means Natasha regularly suffers from seizures, some lasting up to 20 minutes at a time.

Now the Craigie High pupil has decided to share the videos with the Tele and tell her story in an effort to end the ignorance she feels still surrounds epilepsy.

Natasha said: “Epilepsy seriously impacts on my life and I live in constant fear of having a seizure in public because of the reaction I get from some people.

“I have decided to share these videos of me mid-seizure to show people what’s happening but also to try to highlight the condition and get rid of the fear and ignorance that surrounds it.”

She said that she has often felt she is somehow to blame for having the condition.

And she also understands the physical effects a seizure can have on her and how alarming it can be for someone witnessing it who has no idea what’s happening to her.

She said: “Sometimes I get really upset because I feel I’m to blame for having this, although I know that realistically there’s nothing I can do about it.

“I hope by showing the videos I am doing something to highlight this condition and to show what happens when a seizure strikes.”

Natasha said the condition has meant she has been unable to live life the way she’d like to.

She added: “I hardly ever go out, mostly because I’m afraid of having a seizure.

“I want to be able to do things other girls my age are doing but at the moment that’s not possible.

“A few weeks ago I had a seizure at school which was horrible. I hope that if my medication can be sorted I can start going out and having fun and lead a more normal life.”

Natasha hopes to complete fourth year at school and then plans to head to college next year to study life skills.

She added: “This will be helpful for me but I hope it will also play a part in getting others to understand epilepsy as well.

“Most of all I want to do things the other girls in my life enjoy.”

Natasha’s mum, Lorraine Scrimgeour, 37, admitted it could be very upsetting to watch her daughter having a seizure but she said she was fully behind her decision to share the video.

Lorraine said: “When Natasha has a seizure her eyes can roll back in her head, her entire body can go into convulsions, she can make strange noises, frequently bites her tongue and she is often violently sick.

“Once a seizure has passed she is left physically and mentally exhausted.

“By showing herself midseizure Natasha and I hope to end the stigma that surrounds this condition and the blame that Natasha suffers because she somehow thinks this is her fault.

“She obviously has no control over what happens.”

Her epilepsy resulted i n Natasha missing almost half of the school year last year and she has also been in and out of Ninewells Hospital.

Lorraine added: “Staff at Ward 29 at Ninewells have been fantastic with Natasha, especially her own epilepsy nurse Sasha Peacock.

“They have done so much for my daughter, but the doctors are still trying to work out the best medication for her to try to better control the seizures.”