It has been confirmed that the death of Disney actor Cameron Boyce in July was a result of Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP).
The cause of death was confirmed by the Los Angeles County Coroner last week. The actor, aged 20, had amassed thousands of fans from his roles in Descendants and Jessie.
The death of someone so young & well-known has bought the reality of SUDEP sharply into focus in the mainstream media which can cause understandable concern and anxiety for people with epilepsy and their families.
While the devastation caused by SUDEP to families who have unfortunately been affected cannot be measured, we would like to remind everyone the risk of SUDEP is very low with a reported one in 1,000 people with epilepsy passing away from SUDEP each year.
However, the risk varies from person to person and it is important to understand your epilepsy, your risk factors and how best to manage it. The most significant risk factor for SUDEP is having active seizures (particularly tonic-clonic seizures). Therefore, the better epilepsy is controlled, the more the risk of SUDEP is reduced.
You can find more information on SUDEP by visiting the 'SUDEP' section of our website. Should you have any concerns or questions, please feel free to contact your local Community Resource Officer. Their details can be found by visiting the 'Our Local Services' section of our website.