A 12-year-old girl from Cardiff is starting the new year as a national hero after being recognized for her incredible resilience. Hope Lowery has been named the final Epilepsy Star of 2025 by the charity Epilepsy Action, celebrating her journey through complex diagnoses and her determination to thrive.
Hope’s journey hasn’t been easy. While doctors initially attributed her symptoms to childhood febrile convulsions, her mother, Kelsey, knew there was more to the story. Drawing on her own childhood history with seizures, Kelsey advocated for the tests that eventually led to a diagnosis of left temporal lobe epilepsy in 2021.
However, the diagnosis was just the beginning. Hope’s condition evolved into drug-resistant generalised epilepsy, accompanied by ADHD, a language disorder and non-epileptic seizures (FND) triggered by environmental stress.
For many families living with epilepsy, finding the right school environment is a significant challenge. After realizing that a mainstream primary school was a trigger for Hope’s seizures, Kelsey made the bold move to home-school her daughter until a place at a specialist high school could be secured.
Since starting at her new school in January 2025, the change has been life-altering:
- Specialist Support: Teachers are trained to manage her seizures and learning needs.
- Renewed Confidence: Hope has joined the school football team.
- Creative Outlet: She continues to shine in her local dance team, where her passion truly comes to life.
Despite the complexity of her health, Hope remains unfazed. “I want people to know that not all seizures are epileptic, and that it’s okay to be different,” Hope shared upon receiving her award. She is now calling for better awareness of hidden disabilities in schools.
Kelsey, a proud single mother of two, hopes their story inspires other families: “We will not ever let epilepsy define who we are. We can either hold a grudge against it or just accept it.”
With almost 40,000 people living with epilepsy in Wales, Hope’s story highlights the vital need for support networks. Rebekah Smith, CEO of Epilepsy Action, praised Hope’s courage, noting that her determination shows what is possible in a “World Without Limits.”
Need Support? If you or a loved one are affected by epilepsy, you can access expert advice via the Epilepsy Action freephone helpline at 0808 800 5050 or visit www.epilepsy.org.uk.
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