Gotta No! is a pilot aimed at youth clubs, uniformed youth organisations and any other youth group in Telford and Wrekin.  Teenage tears can be harrowing enough without the added pressure of illness, whether the sufferer be themselves, family or a close friend the majority of them can talk about asthma, diabetes, heart conditions and cancer.  Epilepsy however, because of the nature of a seizure (during a seizure someone may stop breathing, they may make strange noises, bite through their tongues, writhe about, some may loose control of their bladder) has so many stigmas attached that young and old alike do not feel comfortable talking about.

Gotta No will present the facts in a user friendly, age appropriate way.  Our trainers, teenagers themselves, can relate to both the youth and the condition.  They will, through a variety of media, demonstrate how epilepsy affects not only individuals but the whole family, they will show how devastating the condition can be but with more understanding of the condition with more acceptance from a society which at the present shuns the condition that life with epilepsy can be fulfilling, the same as an individuals without the condition.  Understanding that you can't catch epilepsy, but that it can happen to anyone may lead to a more tolerant society, where teenagers will not have to worry about telling their friends for fear of alienating them.  There are about 450,000 in the UK who suffer with epilepsy and figures suggest that around 75 people are diagnosed every day.  It is vital therefore that families and sufferers alike feel able to seek support; it can happen to anyone at any time, even to you and yours.