Welshpool girl wins national epilepsy award for saving mum

Aisha Cox, from Welshpool, has won an Epilepsy Star Award from national charity Epilepsy Action, for stepping up and looking after her mum, Lucy, during a seizure that occurred whilst the pair were alone together.

The seven-year-old had been taught to ask Alexa to ‘call dad’, but when she did so she heard the phone ring in the house. She found her dad’s phone on the hall table, however used her quick thinking to call her grandad on her dad’s phone. Lucy says Aisha was amazing at keeping calm in a stressful situation, and tells the full story.  

“I was in the kitchen cooking tea, when all of a sudden I began having a seizure. Aisha’s first response was to put a cushion underneath my head on the hard, stone floor. She then turned off the gas hobs and oven before trying to contact her dad. Aisha learnt to cushion my head from Epilepsy Action’s advice on what to do if someone has a seizure, and has also watched her dad and others respond on many occasions.

“Aisha had been taught to ask Alexa to ‘call dad’ and did exactly that, after she’d made sure I was safe in the kitchen. She asked Alexa the instruction, but after doing so heard a phone ring in the house. She found her dad’s phone on the hall table, who had gone to play football for an hour.

“Luckily, Aisha’s clever thinking meant she started looking through his phone and managed to find a contact named ‘dad’ on the phone, which is Aisha’s Grandad. She called him and her Grandad picked up and was able to come to the aid of both myself and Aisha. She is a real hero and it was her quick thinking that helped me get the help I needed.

“Her calm, caring reaction and swift problem solving fills me with emotion and pride for my little seven- year-old girl. It’s been a truly challenging few years for us all but Aisha's bubbling positivity has got us through. She’s a superstar!

“We’re all extremely proud of our amazing daughter and we’re also very relieved we had Alexa and taught her how to use it, as well as access to our mobile phones.”

Epilepsy Action interim chief executive Rebekah Smith said: “We decided to give our final Epilepsy Star award for 2024 to Aisha for her swift and brave response when her mum needed her most.

“Aisha showed her amazing seizure first aid skills when she immediately cushioned her mum’s head from the hard floor, and her clever thinking by turning the hobs and oven off. The whole team at Epilepsy Action is inspired by Aisha’s actions, and we hope that they will inspire others too, to learn what to do when someone is having a seizure.”

Epilepsy affects around one in every 100 people in the UK and 80 people are diagnosed every day. Epilepsy Action is committed to improving the lives of people with epilepsy, by campaigning for better services and raising awareness of the condition. The charity provides a national network of support groups, with expert advice available on its freephone helpline 0808 800 5050.