Image source, Family Photo
Surgery initially reduced Caleb’s seizures to about once every 10 days but he can now have 10 a night
- Author, Danielle Herbert
- Role, BBC News
- Caleb, eight, underwent brain surgery in January 2022 to try to reduce the number of seizures he suffers due to epilepsy
- At their worst, he had 60 seizures a day but they initially reduced to about one every 10 days after the first operation in the US
- His parents have been advised a second operation could help futher since the seizures have risen to up to 10 a night
“It’s still too much for him to live anything close to a normal life.”
Caleb was suffering up to 60 seizures a day before undergoing brain surgery for a condition that causes epilepsy.
The seizures initially reduced to about every 10 days after the operation in the US in January 2022.
But they have since risen to about eight to 10 a night.
Parents Stewart McCarthy and Kirsty Rosser, from Cardiff, say their surgeon has told them a second brain operation could help Caleb further.
“We felt like we had a bit of normality back.
“Since then things have started to go back in the opposite direction.”
Caleb was diagnosed with epilepsy from the age of three, under-going “months and months” of scans and monitoring by the NHS.
“He was on lots of medication that wasn’t really helping,” said his mother.
“We were back and forth to the hospital, spending more time there than outside.”
Image source, Family Photo
Caleb had brain surgery in January 2022 to try and permanently reduce the number of daily seizures
Stewart said specialists here were unable to help further, so they looked to the US for help.
“They came to the conclusion that Caleb’s seizures were arising from the left frontal lobe of his brain. This enabled them to remove most of the bad area,” he said.
Post surgery, Caleb was “doing well for around six months, only having seizures every 10 days in comparisons to multiple nightly previously”.
But since then, they have risen to up to 10 a night.
“Although this is still less than when he was first diagnosed, it’s still too much for him to live anything close to a normal life,” said his father.
His parents and supporters have, so far, raised more than £14,000 towards the £120,000 costs for a second operation in the US.
“We are really overwhelmed with the support we’ve had,” said Stewart.
Sarah Carter is a health and wellness expert residing in the UK. With a background in healthcare, she offers evidence-based advice on fitness, nutrition, and mental well-being, promoting healthier living for readers.
