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Girl, 9, saves mum's life after epileptic seizure

'When Mummy has a seizure I know what to do'

A nine-year-old girl has been praised for her "life-saving support" after calling 999 when her mother had an epileptic seizure.

Imogen Harries was diagnosed with epilepsy in 2021 and has said her daughter Gwen has developed "an amazing understanding" of the condition.

"Gwen saved my life when I happened to have a seizure at home, she called 999 and was calm in the situation."

Ms Harries said more people needed to be educated on the condition.

When she was diagnosed with the condition, Ms Harries, from Pembrokeshire, was worried about how it would impact her two children's lives.

"My epilepsy journey has been very emotional, and I still get overwhelmed with emotion when I think about it.

"I was very concerned about Gwen and her brother Reuben, how they would cope with seeing me having a seizure, but my partner and I sat down with them, and we were honest with them both.

"We explained what epilepsy was, how I would tell them if I was about to have a seizure or what to do if I wasn't aware I was going to have one.

"I taught them basics of first aid. They know to call 999 if they're by themselves or if my seizure lasts longer than five minutes."

Family photo Imogen (centre), Gwen (left) and Reuben (right). All are looking at the camera and smiling. Imogen has auburn hair and a nose piercing, she is wearing glasses.Family photo
Imogen and her husband both explained to their children what to do when she has a seizure

Ms Harries said she had a seizure at Gwen's school recently and the teachers were taken aback at how she dealt with it.

"She was calm. She knew she had to phone her dad, time the seizures and count how many seizures I had.

"Gwen told me afterwards that none of the adults knew what to do."

She added that Gwen always reassures her when she comes round and will make sure to support her mum's head or cover her with towels if she has an accident.

"When I come out of it, she'd get a pillow and then talk to me and stroke my hair."

She said that every time she has a seizure she is thankful to be alive.

Family photo Gwen Harries looking at the camera. She is stood on grass at the edge of a cliff with the sea behind her. She is wearing a pink coat and a pink and white spotty hat.Family photo
Gwen wants to be a doctor or a nurse when she grows up

Ms Harries said not enough people know what to do when they see someone having a seizure.

She said: "I believe that before if I saw someone having a seizure I possibly would have walked past and not known what to."

Gwen has been given an award from Epilepsy Action for saving her mum's life.

Accepting her award, Gwen said: "It feels absolutely awesome. It doesn't feel real at all. I want to pat myself on the back. It feels epic."

She said she wanted to be a doctor or nurse when she grows up.

Rebekah Smith, deputy chief executive at Epilepsy Action, said: "Gwen's incredible knowledge of epilepsy is truly inspiring, and I'm sure people will feel inspired by her to learn more about the condition and how they can look out for others."

What is epilepsy?

  • Epilepsy is a common condition that affects the brain and causes frequent seizures.
  • It can start at any age, but usually starts either in childhood or in people over 60 and is often lifelong, but can sometimes get slowly better over time
  • Symptoms can vary but can include uncontrollable jerking and shaking, losing awareness and staring blankly into space, becoming stiff and collapsing
  • Call 999 for an ambulance if someone is having a seizure for the first time, has a seizure that lasts more than 5 minutes or has lots of seizures in a row

Source: NHS