Luke Drummond, 11, suffered a huge haemorrhage following major brain surgery in September last year.
Had his younger brother not woken up and shouted for help, Luke would almost certainly not have survived. Now, in conjunction with local charity Hope for Paediatric Epilepsy, the courageous Hyde resident is on a mission to pull in the pounds so that other children across the borough can sleep more easily.
Luke is hoping to raise £5,025 which will pay for 15 bed alarms for himself and 14 other children. Once installed, an alarm will automatically sound if the child suffers an epileptic fit during the night.
I'm so proud of Luke. He's raising this money for such a good cause and it's all his own idea. I've not slept a full night in the year and a half since Luke became ill. I can't relax at night and a lot of the time, when his dad's away with work, Luke sleeps in my bed so I can keep an eye on him. But he's at an age where he can't do that now and I need to be able to sleep properly. These bed alarms will make such a difference to the peace of mind of parents with epileptic children.
Samantha, who also raises money for Hope for Paediatric Epilepsy through her work at Asda, Hyde, explained that Luke first fell ill in November 2010. He collapsed at school and was rushed to Tameside Hospital for a CT scan, which revealed he'd suffered a massive brain haemorrhage.
He was taken to Manchester Royal Children's Hospital where, after MRI scans and an angiogram, he was diagnosed with the rare congenital birth defect Arteriovenous Malformation, or AVM. Only one in a million people are born with AVM and many can go through life without ever knowing they even have it.
In September last year Luke underwent a 12-hour brain operation to ensure he did not suffer another bleed on the brain. He seemed to be recovering well, until 10 days after the surgery, when Samantha believes his dormant epilepsy was triggered. Luke had the two-hour seizure that almost killed him – but thanks to his brother, Matthew, he was able to get help in time.
Since then he has spent time with other epileptic children through the Hope charity, giving him something to look forward to and the chance to mix with others with the same condition. He has also been given an anti-suffocation pillow.
Luke has been through so much over the last year and a half and wants to give something back to Hope. They have been amazing in the support they have given him, helping him understand his condition. He would like the chance to thank everyone who cared for and supported him through his illness.
Luke is now looking forward to the holiday of a lifetime, thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, who will be taking him to Florida to swim with dolphins next month.
Article reproduced with the kind permission of the Tameside Reporter.