UK Mom's Concern As No Doctor Will Prescribe Cannabis For Her Daughter's 300 Daily Seizures

Unexpected falls, stiff muscles, dazed behavior, memory gaps, mumbling or no response, sudden bursts of anger and fear are all symptoms of epilepsy, which is one of the most common childhood brain disorders. Now imagine your own child having up to 300 seizures a day.

That's the life of Teagan Appleby, a British teenager who has a rare chromosomal disorder called Isodicentric 15 and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. For now, she and her family are managing her severe epilepsy symptoms with medical cannabis.  

However, with her private doctor retiring with no replacement, the 13-year-old could lose access to the medication in July, reported BBC News.

Emma Appleby, who has spent years campaigning for medical cannabis to ease her daughter's symptoms, said there were no other medical professionals they were aware of that would prescribe medical cannabis.

Teagan takes Epidiolex, a CBD-based medicine approved by the National Health Service England and the FDA. Bedica and T1:C20, her two other drugs are also legal but need to be privately prescribed and paid for because they are unlicensed. Currently, Teagan's treatment is costing up to £2,000 ($2,495) a month.

Doctors are refraining from prescribing due to a lack of support from their respective trusts, Emma Appleby said.

"The government is saying it's down to the doctors now. The NHS is saying it's the doctors' discretion and everyone's passing the buck to each other. No one's accepting responsibility," she said

A Battle Worth Fighting

Unfortunately, Teagan is one of many children whose families are struggling for access to much-needed treatment. Thanks to tireless advocates who are advocating for medical marijuana policy reform and research into the plant's extraordinary benefits, there is hope for children like Teagan. Harry Siddans, a teenager from Dunmow in Essex, UK, who suffers from drug-resistant epilepsy, was among the first patients to be given free medical cannabis.

Two children with severe epilepsy, Billy Caldwell and Alfie Dingley were at the forefront of the change as they were the first to use cannabis oil with low THC to treat their disease after the UK legalized medical marijuana in 2018.

Caldwell, who suffered from life-threatening epileptic seizures since he was a baby, became the first person to be prescribed medical cannabis by the National Health Service (NHS) in 2020. His case effectively legalized medical marijuana in the country.

Caldwell's mother, Charlotte once flew to Canada to get a new supply of cannabis oil, which was seized at customs in front of a clutch of reporters upon her return. Charlotte launched the "I am Billy" campaign last year. Her efforts helped set up a scheme, wherein several global marijuana producers agreed to provide free MMJ to epileptic children if their medical data and outcomes could then be shared with doctors for research purposes.

Photo: Courtesy of Kimzy Nanney on Unsplash