A MOTHER who lost her daughter to epilepsy has helped to raise more than £35,000 for epilepsy charities through a foundation she has set up in her daughter’s memory.

Nicky Patrick, a primary school headteacher, was devastated by the news her 22-year-old daughter, Maisie, Tothill, had died in her sleep due to sudden unexpected death in epilepsy earlier this year.

Nicky explained how Maisie’s diagnosis took a considerable amount of time following her first seizure in 2014 and how education and information around the illness is poor, and needs to change.

Since Maisie’s tragic death, Ms Patrick has campaigned to raise awareness of how fatal the illness can be and to help others as much as possible while continuing her daughter’s legacy.

Ms Patrick, said: “Having lost a child in such awful circumstances was one thing but it really hit home with us how many people don’t know that Sudden Death in Epilepsy is a thing.

“We want to raise as much awareness as we can of this fatal condition. After Maisie died we thought to ourselves ‘what would she do in this situation?’

“She wouldn’t sit back and not let anything change so we decided to set up The Maisie Tothill Foundation in her name and through the foundation we raise money for SUDEP Action and Support Dogs.”

SUDEP Action is a charity which raises awareness of epilepsy risks.

Support Dogs is a charity which provide dogs to support those with epilepsy, autism and those with other physical disabilities. The dogs are trained to provide a 100 per cent reliable, up to 50 minute warning prior to the onset of an epileptic seizure.

An avid Southend United fan and season ticket holder, Maisie was also passionate about politics and graduated from Leeds University last summer.

Nicky explained how Maisie was very active and after graduating was ready to take on the world.

Maisie’s dad, James Tothill, and his colleagues at Aviva Investors climbed 4,167 metres up Mount Toubkal in Morocco which raised £25,000.

For more information on The Maisie Tothill Foundation, visit www.themaisietothillfoundation.org