14-year-old athlete brings awareness of SUDEP to the skiing community
 

Scott Breedon wants others to know about SUDEP (Sudden Unexpected Death in EPilepsy) to encourage young people with epilepsy to be proactive with their health care. 

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MARKDALE, Jan 26, 2019 – Fourteen-year-old competitive slopestyle skier Scott Breedon knows the traumatic impact that SUDEP (Sudden Unexpected Death in EPilepsy) can have on a family. In 2010,  Jordan Fawcett, the 15-year-old daughter of family friends, died suddenly and for no known reason other than it was somehow associated with her having epilepsy. This spurred Scott to take action to help avoid further such tragedies.

Scott, who is training with the Ontario Escarpment Freestyle Team with the hope of making the Canadian Junior Nationals again this year, recently approached SUDEP Aware with a proposal: in exchange for sponsorship he would raise awareness of SUDEP amongst the skiing community and particularly his fellow teammates.

SUDEP Aware and the Jordan Fawcett Memorial Endowed Fund (with the Community Foundation Grey Bruce) together awarded Scott $800 towards his training. Now, with competition season starting, the Ride 4 SUDEP awareness campaign begins. Scott will use social media to bring attention to SUDEP and the importance of young people living with epilepsy taking precautions to reduce their risk. He will wear branded clothing and distribute helmet/ski stickers to competitors to help generate discussion about SUDEP. Scott will also have SUDEP information brochures available during event registration throughout the Freestyle Ontario Timber Tour provincial competition series, which kicks off today.

Tamzin Jeffs, co-founder and executive director of SUDEP Aware, says Scott’s message to young people living with epilepsy is important and could save lives.

“As teenagers transition towards independence and taking on more responsibility for their own well-being, it is vital that those living with epilepsy know about SUDEP and how their actions, or inaction, may influence their risk of death,” she says. “We hope that the sharing of information amongst peers, and particularly one who can speak from personal experience of the tragedy epilepsy can bring, will help highlight SUDEP’s importance and spur its discussion between young people and their doctors.”

According to recent studies, estimated loss due to SUDEP is one in 1,000 Canadians living with epilepsy annually. This increases to one in 100 for people with frequent epileptic convulsions that are poorly controlled with medications. The cause of SUDEP is presently unknown. However, the best way to reduce the risk of SUDEP is to take steps to have as few seizures as possible. Regular review with a healthcare provider, even when seizures seem well controlled, is recommended.

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