A mum who "died three times" because of a seizure is trying to raise awareness of her "invisible illness".
Natalie Maddocks, from Birkenhead in Merseyside, had to be revived three times after she stopped breathing following a fall while she was at her mum's.
She was then given CPR by her sister and paramedics before being rushed to Arrowe Park Hospital for treatment.
The 39-year-old, who was diagnosed with epilepsy when she was a child, now worries that her seizures could put her at risk of Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP), reports the Liverpool Echo.
It's a rare condition which refers to the sudden, unexpected death of someone with epilepsy, and affects around 1 in every 1,000 adults in the UK each year.
In a bid to raise awareness of epilepsy, Natalie's son 10-year-old Riley Maddocks, is walking 50 miles throughout February, with all donations raised going to the charity Epilepsy Action.
Natalie told the ECHO: "I've been suffering from PTSD since it happened because it's never really happened before. I basically died three times.
"I had a fall in my mum's house and I smacked my head and smashed my face - because of the bangs to the head it caused me to have a seizure.
"I stopped breathing, my sister gave me CPR, I came back around and then I had another seizure and then she had to give me CPR for a second time.
"The paramedics came and then they gave me CPR and I was taken to hospital. Since then, I've been struggling with PTSD. It was around May last year.
"I've got two kids, I've got a family who do a lot for me, but I always question it like could my illness be the death of me?
"If my daughter didn't come in to check on me I could have been on my own having a seizure - the whole situation could have been different."
Natalie said she suffered from another severe seizure around three weeks ago, which also left her struggling to breathe.
The 39-year-old also regularly has seizures in her sleep, with her 15-year-old daughter and niece taking it in turns to check on her and ensure she is sleeping on her side instead of her back.
Natalie said: "[Doctors] said there's that chance where I could not come around during a seizure - it could cause me to basically die, so that's been difficult to deal with.
"I think more of that should be made aware of and the fact that it's obviously an invisible illness.
"If someone saw me they would think I'm a normal person who doesn't have any health conditions and it's an illness that's not really recognised."
Natalie's son Riley, aged ten, wants to help to raise awareness of epilepsy and what his mum is going through by raising money for the charity Epilepsy Action.
To do this, he is walking 50 miles around his hometown of Birkenhead - and he has already completed 20 miles so far.
Natalie added: "I'm absolutely over the moon. He's the most lovable child and I'm really proud of him."
To donate to the fundraising page click here.
