Jonathan’s operation to rid him of epileptic seizures
For Jonathan Terry, it was a life-changing operation which left him seizure-free and able to live a normal life.
The 21-year-old, from Nuneaton, would suffer up to three fits a day after being diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of three.
Going into a trance-like state, Jonathan’s muscles would stiffen, he’d lose consciousness, and his body would jerk rapidly – one of the most dangerous forms of fitting called a tonic-clonic seizure.
But surgeons performed a delicate 'right temporal lobectomy’ at our Children’s Hospital, where experts removed a section of his brain larger than the size of a walnut in a procedure only done five times a year at the hospital.
Following its success, Jonathan says it’s given him a new lease of life.
He said: “The operation has been life-changing for me. Not having the seizures and being able to work on my farm and even drive has been amazing, I never thought I’d be able to do it.”
Since the operation, he’s been seizure-free and has been able to work on his family farm and even got his driving licence.
He said: “The seizures felt so normal to me, I was having them every single day and some days I was frightened to leave the house.
“The older I got, the worse it seemed to get. When I was 16, I had one so bad they had to give me oxygen in the back of an ambulance.
“I don’t remember much of the really bad ones, but my parents told me it was really scary to see.”
By the age of 17, his seizures had become daily and were lasting longer.
Dr William Lo, Consultant Paediatric Neurosurgeon, explained: “Jonathan was first seen by our Children’s Epilepsy Surgery Service and had many different tests to find out the cause of his seizures.
“There were changes to the deep part of the temporal lobe, which is just behind the eye and in front of the ear.
“Because of this, Jonathan was eligible for a very specific surgery to rid him of the seizures.
“The operation involved removing the first 4.5 centimeters of the temporal lobe which was causing the seizures, while preserving the important functional area of the brain.”
Jonathan instantly said yes to the operation, adding: “There was no doubt in my mind.
“I kept thinking if the seizures carried on what my life would be like in 30 years’ time.
“I just wanted them gone and to live without constantly worrying if I was going to have a seizure.”
In June 2022, Jonathan went in for the life-changing procedure, which took seven hours. Jonathan then spent the next two weeks recovering before being well enough to go home.
He said: “I don’t remember much immediately after the operation. I had a seizure and I was really concerned it meant it didn’t work, but Mr Lo explained that it was normal and you can sometimes get one straight after.
“But it was the last time I had a fit.”
Since the operation, Jonathan was able to go back to life on the farm, even successfully learning to drive in 2024.
“Getting my driving license was a really special moment,” he said. “I never thought I’d be able to drive because of my epilepsy.
“Because of my work, I’m up and about every single day, so this has been life-changing.
“I’m so grateful to Mr Lo for everything he’s done, he’s really changed my life and I’m so thankful to him and the whole of the epilepsy team.”