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Strictly Come Dancing contestant George Clarke, 25, spoke out about his mum’s health on Saturday night’s episode, sharing that she’s been diagnosed with encephalitis since he was 16, and more recently she’d also been diagnosed with cancer.
The social media star and podcaster dedicated his rumba number, danced to Keane’s song Somewhere Only We Know with partner Alexis Warr, 25, to his mum, Nicky, who he called “the most selfless person”.
In his pre-dance VT, George shared how at 16, just before heading out with his dad for hockey practice, his dad had checked up on his mum to find her having a seizure. She was later diagnosed with encephalitis.
George said: “Encephalitis is something that, I had no idea what it was. And most people who do know what it is, it’s because it’s affected them in a horrible way.”
He added that his mum has recently also been diagnosed with cancer. He added: “Nobody deserves what she’s gone through, but least of all her. It feels like it’s taken up so much of her life now.”
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George described encephalitis as a brain inflammation, and shared that he didn’t even know what it was before his mum’s diagnosis. We share some key information about encephalitis.
What is encephalitis?
Encephalitis is an inflammation of the brain, causing it to swell. The NHS says it is uncommon but it could be life threatening and needs urgent treatment in hospital.
Anyone can be affected by encephalitis, but “the very young and the very old” are considered at a higher risk, according to the NHS.
What are the symptoms?
Early symptoms of encephalitis include flu-like symptoms, including a high temperature or a headache. Symptoms appearing later on, which are more serious, include confusion, seizures, difficulty speaking, changes in behaviour or personality, weakness in the body or loss of consciousness. These require urgent treatment, and 999 should be called if any of them are happening.
What are the causes and treatments?
Encephalitis could be caused by a number of different things, including viral infections, immune system problems (autoimmune encephalitis), bacterial or fungal infections, and certain animals like mosquitoes and ticks.
Treatment depends on the cause of the encephalitis, but could include antiviral medications, antibiotics, immune system treatments, anti-seizure medications, painkillers and steroid injections.
Encephalitis and epilepsy
Some people make a full recovery from encephalitis, but, according to the NHS, “many” people don’t and have to life with long-term problems, including memory loss, seizures, problems with brain functions like attention and concentration, or persistent tiredness.
According to the organisation Encephalitis International, people who have had encephalitis are around 16 times more likely to develop epilepsy than the general population.
The risk varies depending on the cause of the encephalitis but is generally higher for people who had seizures as one of the symptoms of their encephalitis.
The Mayo Clinic explains that autoimmune encephalitis is the most common cause of autoimmune epilepsy. This is a form of epilepsy estimated to affect around 5-7% of people with epilepsy.
The organisation adds that most people who develop epilepsy following encephalitis have focal or secondary generalised seizures, and people may sometimes have focal seizures arising from both sides of the brain.
If you have experienced encephalopathy and epilepsy and would like to share your story, please fill in our online form.
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