A "beautiful" and talented teenager has died after suffering an epileptic fit at home.
Abigail Eldridge, 18, was found unresponsive in her bed and passed away at Derriford Hospital.
The student, from Saltash, Cornwall, has been described as a "loving and supportive sister" to her older brother Charlie, as well as being a "caring friend with a great sense of humour".
Abigail first suffered a seizure in the car at 15 years old and this later led to her diagnosis. She suffered from two types of seizures, tonic-clonic and absence seizures and her mum, Michelle Eldridge, hopes she can help raise some awareness of the condition, reports Plymouth Live.
"Not everyone knows about SUDEP [Sudden Unexplained Death of Epilepsy], I learnt about it after she died."
The Epilepsy Foundation describes SUDEP as: "The sudden, unexpected death of someone with epilepsy, who was otherwise healthy. In SUDEP cases, no other cause of death is found when an autopsy is done."
Epilepsy Foundation states that each year, around 1 in 1,000 people with epilepsy die from SUDEP, adding that it "is the leading cause of death in people with uncontrolled seizures".
Michelle explained Abigail suffered a seizure the week before her death, where she stopped breathing for around a minute.
"Unfortunately, when she had this one a week later, she was in her room on her own," Michelle added.
Describing Abigail, Michelle said: "She would do anything for anyone she cared for. She was very protective of her brother and just a genuinely caring, loving person really.
"She found her talent, the bass guitar, she found her passion for music. She was in a band, the right side. She did it three times a week at Livewire. It came totally naturally to her, she was two years behind everyone else on the guitar playing, she caught up within a couple of months.
"She could improvise on the bass as well, and it would work. It was like wow ok. Livewire was a huge part of her life, I saw a difference in her when she started going. It really brought out the confidence in her. The support there is fantastic."
A fundraiser has now been set up in her memory, to raise funds for the youth music project which she loved and Epilepsy Research UK, you can donate here.
A post on the GoFundMe reads: "It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of our wonderful daughter Abigail Eldridge.
"On the 12th of May in the early hours, beautiful Abigail passed away aged just 18. She was a loving and supportive sister to her brother Charlie, niece and granddaughter.
"A caring friend with a great sense of humour, her presence and energy shall be greatly missed. While our family is devastated and heartbroken, we are all extremely touched by the people that have reached out and shown their support.
"For Abigail’s funeral, Michelle and Tim would like donations to charity rather than flowers. Abigail was a music-loving outgoing teenager who suffered from epilepsy and it was a seizure that led to her passing.
"Epilepsy Research UK is close to our hearts because of the research they are doing that could save others like Abigail.
"The other charity is Livewire, they are an independent and long-standing youth charity in Saltash, Cornwall, that offer support through music and youth work.
"They help young people through the trials and tribulations of growing up. Livewire was a huge part of Abigail's life. She loved it there. It was the place she could go and meet friends and play her bass guitar."
What is epilepsy?
According to information on the NHS website the main symptom of epilepsy is repeated seizures. These are sudden bursts of electrical activity in the brain that temporarily affect how it works.
Seizures can affect people in different ways, depending on which part of the brain is involved.
Some seizures cause the body to jerk and shake (a "fit"), while others cause problems like loss of awareness or unusual sensations. They typically pass in a few seconds or minutes.
Seizures can occur when you're awake or asleep.
Sometimes they can be triggered by something, such as feeling very tired.
