Clare Mills

Archie was diagnosed with absence epilepsy earlier this year, and we’ve been on a journey ever since to understand how it fits into his life as an 11-year-old boy, the challenges he faces and the dangers it can pose.

Archie’s type of epilepsy means he can “blank out” for up to 15 seconds at a time, sometimes 20–30 times a day. He is completely unconscious during these episodes, but can appear to carry on doing whatever he was already doing, which means they can be really easy to miss.

The biggest worry for us is around roads, doing sports or just generally being out on his own. At 11, he’s at an age where he should be gaining some independence, but an absence at the wrong moment, crossing a road or when there isn’t someone there to notice, could put him in real danger. It’s something we now have to think about every day.

We decided to take on this challenge to show Archie that there is support and awareness out there, and to do something positive together.