London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Sep 08, 2026

Dravet syndrome Devon girl, resuscitated 100 times

Dravet syndrome Devon girl, resuscitated 100 times

A nine-year-old girl has had to be resuscitated by her mother more than 100 times due to a rare life-limiting form of epilepsy.

Sam Slocombe from Devon is campaigning to raise awareness of her daughter Paige's condition, known as Dravet Syndrome.

She and her husband Mike said they hoped it would help to improve diagnosis and care for others.

The syndrome can cause multiple seizures both night and day.

It occurs in around one in every 15,000 live births and is one of the most treatment-resistant forms of epilepsy.

It means the family have to take vital medical equipment wherever they go.

Paige Slocombe with her family from Okehampton, Devon


Sam Slocombe said: "Paige stops breathing with her seizures, and wherever she goes, her medical bag goes with her. It contains very potent drugs... resuscitation equipment...

"These things play a vital role in keeping Paige alive. I have probably resuscitated her myself over 100 times," she said.


Electric shocks to brain


Paige, who lives in Okehampton, has had a device surgically implanted which stops around 250 seizures every day.

The Vagus Nerve Stimulator (VNS) implant works by sending small electric shocks to the brain.

There is a much higher risk of Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) compared with other epilepsies.

Sam Slocombe said: "We never know how long we've got with Paige so we just treat every day like it's our last."

Dravet Syndrome UK said by raising awareness it hoped more people can receive an earlier diagnosis and get timely access to the help they need.

Galia Wilson, chair, Dravet Syndrome UK said: "The availability of genetic testing has helped increase diagnosis and now there are newer, more effective treatments available too."

"But wider awareness is needed to bring attention to these advances if they are to bring real-life benefit to as many patients and their families as possible," she said.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
British Chambers of Commerce Calls for Business Rate Reform and Productivity Support
UK Farmers Warn Dry Summer Could Reduce Crop Yields and Push Up Food Prices
UK Rail Networks Hit by Widespread Delays After Major Signalling Failures
Matt Clifford Resigns as ARIA Chair After Conflict-of-Interest Scrutiny
UK and France Say Joint Border Operations Have Prevented More Than 48,000 Irregular Channel Crossings
UK Core Inflation Remains Above Expectations as Utility and Commodity Costs Stay Elevated
Jaguar Land Rover Considers Up to 4,000 UK Job Cuts Amid Automotive Industry Pressure
UK Government Pauses Local Authority Reorganisation for Legal Review
UK Public Borrowing Reaches £1.8 Billion in July, Adding Pressure Before Autumn Budget
Chancellor John Healey Puts Regional Devolution and Fiscal Discipline at Heart of UK Growth Plan
Counter-Terrorism Police Lead Salford Investigation After Two Teenagers Charged
UK Rejects Financial Reparations for Transatlantic Slavery
UK and Egypt Step Up Diplomacy Over Escalating West Bank Tensions
UK Pauses Council Reorganisation Across Four English Counties
Jaguar Land Rover Plans 4,000 Job Cuts in Major UK Restructuring
UK Unveils Planning and Regulatory Overhaul to Speed Infrastructure and Economic Growth
University of Bristol Opens £500 Million Innovation Campus
Families Give Evidence to Independent Review of Sussex Maternity Failures
Sweden Confirms Deportation of 458 British Citizens Over Post-Brexit Residency Rules
UK Launches £3 Million Challenge for Long-Duration Energy Storage
Reform UK Proposes £100 Billion in Spending Cuts and Brownfield Deregulation
Andy Burnham Warns Macron That EU Procurement Rules Could Hurt British Steel
Andy Burnham Faces Major Decision on Future North Sea Oil and Gas Drilling
SEND Support in England Projected to Reach One in 10 Pupils
England’s Housing Courts Struggle With Surge in No-Fault Eviction Cases
Violent Clashes Erupt in Portsmouth During Protest Against Asylum Processing
Three-Quarters of NHS Emergency Staff Report Regular Violence or Aggression
UK Considers Converting Female Prison Space for Male Inmates as Overcrowding Worsens
UK House Prices Record First Annual Decline in Nearly Three Years
UK Government Reassesses Policy Toward Israel Amid Calls for Diplomatic Shift
Reform UK Faces Police Scrutiny Over Alleged Foreign Donations Scheme
University of Bristol Opens £500 Million Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus
Online Bookmakers Accused of Privacy Breaches Through Cookie Consent Practices
Health Campaigners Urge UK Government to Abandon U.S. Pharmaceutical Agreement
Three-Quarters of UK A&E Staff Report Regular Violence or Aggression
Far-Right Demonstrations Target Portsmouth as Small-Boat Crossings Fuel Tensions
UK Records Hottest Summer on Record After Severe Heatwaves
UK Travellers Face Renewed EU Border Delays as Temporary Flexibility Ends
UK Rejects Calls to Pause AI Data Centre Expansion Despite Energy Concerns
UK Defence Figures Push for 3% Spending Target Amid Falklands Concerns
England Faces Rising Financial Pressure as Special Educational Needs Plans Surge
Metropolitan Police Consider Reform UK Probe Over Overseas Donations
Keir Starmer to Leave Parliament, Triggering By-Election
UK Treasury Weighs Windfall Taxes on Banks and Oil Companies Amid Bond Market Turmoil
Jaguar Land Rover to Cut Thousands of Jobs as UK Government Rules Out Bailout
OpenAI Unveils GPT-6 and Says: "We May Already Have Reached AGI"
Congressman Accused Andrew of Sex Crimes in the United States
Donald Trump: "I'm Glad Harry and Meghan Left the United States"
Spicy Food Is Linked to Lower Death Risk — but It Is Not a Miracle Cure
AfD Enters Saxony-Anhalt Election at 41% in Historic Test for German Politics
×