STAFF at a Whitefield gym did their bit to raise awareness of epilepsy-related deaths in memory of a Radcliffe teenager who died tragically.

Total Fitness gym, in Elms Street, held a fundraiser in memory of Sam Ahearn, who was just 19 years old when she died in July 2009 after having a seizure at her home in Radcliffe.

Since then Sam’s mother, Lynn McGoff, her family and friends have raised over £40,000 for epilepsy charity SUDEP Action.

The gym supported National Epilepsy Awareness Day by hosting the fun day with a cake sale, tombola, face painting and stalls, raising £261, but more importantly, to raise awareness.

Helena Taylor, General Manager of Total Fitness Whitefield, said: “As a team, we always like to help local causes in any way we can and we were only too happy to host the fundraising day in memory of Sam.”

SUDEP (Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy) is relatively unknown condition that occurs in people with epilepsy and varies from person to person but is fatal.

Mrs McGoff said that if she and her husband Bill had been made more aware earlier on then although it may not have saved their daughter’s life, it could have helped in some way.

She said: “We ourselves had never heard of SUDEP until after Sam’s death and then we found out that three people a day die from it.

“It was only recently when I went to my doctor and told him about SUDEP that he actually called them up and arranged for leaflets and an information booklet to be sent to the practice.”

Samantha Ashby, policy and development manager for SUDEP Action commented: “Thanks to the McGoff family for their continued support; the awareness and fundraising events that they hold in memory of Sam have really helped raise both local and national awareness of how important it is that people know about SUDEP and epilepsy risks.

"SUDEP Action is mostly funded by our bereaved families & their communities, so it is because of families like the McGoffs that we are able to carry out the work we do; supporting those affected by epilepsy deaths, and tackling this issue so less lives are lost.

"SUDEP Stands for Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy, it is when a person with epilepsy dies suddenly and prematurely and no other cause of death is found.

"Not everyone with epilepsy is at risk of SUDEP, but it is important that people with epilepsy discuss their risk with their health professionals.

"To help encourage and support these discussions, SUDEP Action worked with expert clinicians to create two free, award winning tools: the SUDEP & Seizure Safety Checklist for clinicians to help monitor their patients’ epilepsy risks and overall wellbeing, and EpSMon, an app which helps patients monitor their condition in between appointments & to seek help for any changes.

"SUDEP Action is dedicated to raising awareness of epilepsy risks and tackling epilepsy deaths including Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy. We are the only UK charity specialised in supporting and involving people bereaved by epilepsy. You can find more information at www.sudep.org"