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Graham Boyd
My name is Graham and I’m a paramedic for the North East Ambulance Service. Epilepsy has had a big impact on both my personal and professional life and I have seen firsthand how it can affect individuals and families.
When my daughter Victoria was just 11 weeks old she was diagnosed with a brain tumour and as a result of her brain surgery she developed epilepsy. Victoria is now 15 years old and her epilepsy is unfortunately still uncontrolled. I tend to deal with her seizures with my ‘professional’ hat on, rather than as an emotional dad. I don’t know if this is a good or bad approach but it seems to work for us.
As a paramedic I come across people on a daily basis that are having epileptic seizures and I often treat the same person more than once a week. Because of my personal experiences, I’m not shocked by what I see. However I do fully understand why some people get frightened when they see someone having a seizure. In the majority of cases by the time I arrive at the scene the person is starting to come out of their seizure.
People are often embarrassed by having a seizure in a public place and are very happy to go in the ambulance for a bit of privacy and peace and quiet. On most occasions I will recommend that a person attend the local casualty department, even if it is just for an hour or so whilst they begin to feel better.
I became involved with Epilepsy Society in response to an advert in my local paper and I currently volunteer at an epilepsy clinic at the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle.
I think it is important to empower people to look at their difficulties and to do something about them themselves. I often point people in the right direction and then they are able to decide what to do.
Thanks to the Epilepsy Society I am now able to share my knowledge with others. I even carry Epilepsy Society literature in my ambulance and I give leaflets to patients when I feel it is appropriate and would help them. I’m really glad I’m able to be involved with Epilepsy Society as I don’t want others to miss out on the valuable work that they do.
