Ellen May Hardwick († 18) from Chelmsford, England, who was called Ellie by her friends, suffered from epilepsy since she was five years old. However, according to the family, she had the disease fully under control. As her friend Aidan Healy (19) stated, just minutes before her sudden collapse, Ellie complained of not feeling well, states .
Her father James (52) explained that the daughter she was always able to recognize the warning signs of an impending seizure minutes in advance, allowing her to alert those around her and get to a safe position. The warning signs were usually changes in vision, such as “flashes” or a feeling that things “looked different”.
The evening of December 29, 2025, however Ellie had a seizure in her room without warning. This happened despite the fact that she had not experienced a similar condition for almost a year. “She was at home in her room laughing on the phone with Aidan. Before I left the house, I stopped by her place and she said to me, ‘See you later, dad, I love you,'” recalls James’ last moments with his daughter. Two hours later, his phone rang with the devastating news – his daughter was not breathing.
Her mother Paula (54) heard a thump on the floor from the room. Although James immediately rushed home, he could no longer help his daughter. He found only a crying wife and paramedics who resuscitated Ellie. The unexpected seizure caused a cardiac arrest and the teenager could not be revived. The family only learned the exact cause of death from the autopsy report three weeks ago. It was the so-called SUDEP – sudden, unexpected death in epilepsy (from the English Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy).
“As Ellie grew older, she seemed to grow out of the fits – the periods between them got longer,” says James. “She hasn’t had a seizure in almost a year, so she wanted to start getting her driver’s license and stop taking some of her medications,” he added. According to the British Epilepsy Society, more than 600,000 people in the UK live with epilepsy, with SUDEP claiming the lives of approximately one in a thousand patients each year.
“I couldn’t believe it. She was just gone, like that. We had no idea she could die like this.” says the devastated father. According to him, Ellie loved life and made friends easily wherever she went. In addition to her parents and boyfriend, Ellie also left behind two siblings – Connor (20) and Violet (17). James has now made it his goal to educate the public about SUDEP and plans to start a charity in his daughter’s memory
What to do if someone has an epileptic seizure?
- Move with the person only in case of danger (for example if it is lying on a busy road or near a hot stove).
- Support her headif located on the ground.
- Loosen her tight clothes around the neck (such as a collar or tie) to make breathing easier.
- Turn her on her sideas soon as the convulsions stop (stabilized position).
- Stay with her and talk to her calmly until she recovers.
- Watch the time – remember when the seizure started and when it ended.
- Specifics for wheelchair users: If the person is in a wheelchair, apply the brakes and keep their seat belt on. Gently support her, support her head, but do not try to move her.
- Do not put anything in her mouth (not even your own fingers). She should not take any food or drink until she is fully recovered.
- If a person has seizure for the first time in my life.
- If the seizure lasts longer than usual for her (or longer than 5 minutes if you don’t know her normal state).
- If the person does not regain full consciousness or has several attacks in a row without recovery.
- If a person during a seizure seriously injured.
- If he has after an attack of difficulty in breathing.
