Teen beats seizures to win place at uni

A TEEN who battled years of seizures and mental health problems has landed a place on her dream university course.

Megan Abbott, 18, started having seizures four years ago, sometimes suffering up to 42 in one day.

But despite having to change schools several times as a result of her condition, as well as missing a lot of school due to hospital admissions, the Pencoed sixthformer yesterday picked up an A* in law, and two Bs in Welsh Baccalaureate and tourism.

Megan, from Bryngarw, near Bridgend, said the seizures were totally unexplained and she still has no medical explanation for them today.

“When my seizures first started, I was spending a lot of time in hospital; I would be taken there most days,” she said.

“It is literally like I don’t even know that it is happening, I could be asleep for all I know.

“When I first started having them I was exhausted all the time.”

Megan, who was also diagnosed with insomnia, was sent to a Pupil Referral Unit (PRU) when she suffered a seizure at the school while eating.

Because she had choked, it raised concerns for her safety and wellbeing at the school.

“They didn’t have a big range of subjects.

It was only English, maths, science and some Btec subjects like art and work skills,” she said.

“I had spent the whole of Year 10 studying Spanish, drama and PE, and it was all wasted when I got to the PRU.”

It was at this point her seizures increased to the point where she experienced 42 in a single day.

She made the decision to finish her GCSEs with home schooling, receiving only nine hours of education a week.

“I had English and maths most days, science just once a week and I had to teach myself the rest.

“I only just got into sixth form.”

Her journey through sixth form was a tough one.

Not only did she have to adjust to a new environment with pastoral staff who had never dealt with her and her condition before, she also had to battle through a difficult patch with her mental health.

But after overcoming a host of obstacles, she is delighted to have won a place studying physical education and sports studies at Cardiff Metropolitan.

“I was relieved because that was always my aim,” she added.

“My whole family is so proud of me.”

Megan has decided to study the subject in Welsh, as she wants to make sure she keeps the language up after leaving her Welsh-speaking school four years ago.

“My mental health got really bad from around November 2017 and March this year. In that time I took four overdoses.

“I had very little support from doctors so the school kind of took their place. They were really good with me.”

Megan missed a lot of school because of everything she was going through and was so surprised when she opened that brown envelope to see she had an A* in law.

Pencoed Comprehensive School has recently collaborated with Bridgend College, which means there are more subjects available to students.

This also allowed Megan to study at the college during their twilight sessions, to make up for any lost time from missing school.

Megan is looking forward to moving into her university halls in Cardiff, but plans on celebrating her results with a relaxed film night.

A-levels round-up: Page 19