Jayne Cage

I was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 12.  After successful neurosurgery for uncontrolled complex partial seizures, I have been fortunate to be seizure free for 18 years.   I have been a member of Epilepsy Action for at least 14 years and initially gave support to others due to have neurosurgery. 

In 2001, I became an accredited volunteer and have presented to social and work groups on epilepsy awareness. As a school teacher, I felt honoured to be part of Epilepsy Action’s campaign on raising awareness of epilepsy in primary schools.  In 2007, I was nominated to stand on the Epilepsy Action advisory panel for Women’s health.  This role has enabled me to help in supporting women with epilepsy, by raising awareness of the condition with GPs and obstetricians.

Prior to becoming a chemistry teacher, I worked within the neuroscience section of a leading pharmaceutical company. Throughout my education, I have taken every opportunity to increase my own knowledge of epilepsy and its treatment. As part of my Chemistry degree, I studied how anti-convulsants were made and how they worked.  I have studied the neurophysiology of epilepsy during a pharmacology degree.

Recently, as part of my MA in education, I critically evaluated how mainstream secondary schools support students with epilepsy. This research has given me a particular interest in raising more awareness of the personal needs of students with epilepsy, in mainstream secondary education.

I value a member of the Council so that I can further support Epilepsy Action and its members.