Staff from Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust held an epilepsy education event for young children and their carers to meet others suffering from the condition.
Organised by the Paediatric Epilepsy team they delivered information about coping with epilepsy, whilst families were able to talk to others with similar experiences.
It’s the first of a series of events, as Dr Sanah Ali, paediatric registrar explained: “We had a remarkable turnout, and it was a huge success. Everyone who attended asked for more events to be arranged, which the team are already planning.
“The patients really engaged well with each other, and all fed back that they felt ‘less alone’ as they were able to meet other people with their condition.
“The youngsters also said that they liked the various talks we did and would like more in the future to help understand epilepsy better. They created their own WhatsApp group to keep in touch.
“Parents said they enjoyed seeing their children socialise in a safe environment and meeting others going through a similar situation.
“Since the evening, we have had patients contact us regarding their epilepsy. By the staff being seen in a less formal environment, it helps to break down the barriers that patients may feel are there, so they can ask questions and engage with us better.”
The team plan to arrange another adolescent epilepsy evening in the summer and going forward hope to arrange these bi-annually. They are also in the process of arranging an event for younger patients and their families.
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