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FIVE-MILE WALKTH AT TOOKSEVEN YEARS


SEEPAGE4


Concert season endsoh


high note .SEEPAGE24


. By J u l ibMag e e juli0.magee@jpress.cd.uk <.Twittan@clithadvertiser'


f A Clitheroe couple whose son suffersfromepilepsyarefun-


- draisingtohelpimprovethe jivesofthoseaffectedbythe condition and to raise aware­ n e s s . , " ' ■


Clare and Richard Blatchford’s severi-year-old son Joseph was diagnosed with epilepsy


just after his fifth birthday. Two years and eight different types of medication later; he is no closer to having it under control. “My son suffers with this


illness on a day-to-day basis,” explained Richard. “Sincebe- ing diagnosed Joseph has had nearly 6oo seizures.” A pupil at St Michael and


St John’s RC Primary School in Clitheroe the condition im­ pacts on Joseph’s everyday life at school. “If he needs his rescue


medication ahambulance has to be called into the school as


: it can ptop hint breathing,” ex- 1 plained muni Clare (36) . “This


. happens on.average every three months.” . Dad Richard (39), a self


"employed electrician, added: “Some of Joseph’s medica­ tion has had awful side ef­ fects including mood swings and making him fall asleep


■ in class. It can affect his emo-. tions resulting in Joseph hav­ ing outbursts aind rages. He can be happy one minute and crying the next. He has to be continuously watched and has missed lots of school:. _ “A lot of our time is spent


focussing on Joseph. I f he leaves the room to go to the toi­ let, if he’s gone for more than 10 minutes, it starts the alarm bells ringing in our heads.” Clare and Richard praised


the support they have received from Joseph’s school which is always ready to help with fun­ draising.


On Purple Day, the world’s


biggest epilepsy awareness^ day, last Thursday, the couple organised a “Wear Purple” for


• Epilepsy Day and pupils were asked to pay a £1 to wear non- uniform. These funds were, boosted by a cake sale held during morning break at the , school.


- ’ A ll the fun d s ra ised


through the event and a Just Giving page set up by the cou­ ple will be donated to Epilepsy Action. The charity exists to im­ prove the lives of everyone af-


■ fected by epilepsy. As well as campaigning to improve epi­ lepsy services it offers assist­ ance in a number of different ways. These include a nation­ al network of branches, epi­ lepsy awareness volunteers. and freephone and email hel­ plines. As the Clitheroe Advertiser


and Times went to press the total amount raised was £1,211. Clare, who is originally


. from Wallasey,said one of the worst things about epilepsy is how unpredictable the condi- tionis. , “He was at a birthday party


at’.the weekend, but was only there five minutes then had to d come home,” shesaid.- can sleep for hours after i a seizure.” Clare, an accountj


manager for a floor- j ing manufacturer, and Richard,' who is a former pupil of , Pendle Primary t School and Rib- blesdale High ' School, have two' I other,children, Oliver (five) an d ; Louis (e igh t ^ months). “The epi- j


lepsy doesn’t


just impact on Joseph, but all


TURN TO PAGE 4 Your Letters 14 • Village News 15-17 • The Valley 21-28 • School News 29 • Motors 34 • Sport 45-48


PURPLE PATCH: Joseph Blatchford with mum and dad Clareand Richard andbrotherOliver ■


D E P A R T M E N T S T O R E I


a u u s o n s 54-56 King Street, Clitheroe BB7 2EU Tel: 01200 425151


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