A MUM with a daughter who has a rare form of epilepsy is raising awareness of her severe condition.

Chloe Cox's 18-month-old Tia Holt has infantile epilepsy, which could see her paralysed for life.

Infantile spasms usually start in children aged one and causes seizures, which can be mistaken for colic and reflux, but is a chaotic brainwave pattern that can lead to loss of skills and brain damage.

Miss Cox, of Great Harwood, said: “It started in November 2019, she started rolling her eyes back and was twitching, then it would stop and start again 10 minutes later.”

After taking Tia to Royal Blackburn Hospital, Miss Cox was told it was simply cholic, but she took her back after it continued in January 2020, when she was diagnosed with infantile epilepsy.

She said: “It was scary at that point as they were doing brain scans for cancer until they found what it was. They said her brain patterns were not normal.

“It did not hit me until later in 2020, and so far, none of the medications she has been given has worked.”

Because of her condition, Tia is now a year behind in development and cannot sit up, walk or pick anything up.

Miss Cox said: “When we saw her in the hospital for two weeks, it was like having a different baby, because she was not happy anymore and just could not really do anything.

“She is trying to sit up, but they cannot say anything because she might never do anything, and I am wondering constantly.

“Tia can get onto her elbows a little, but because of the pandemic we cannot even go to physios that might help her.

“It really upsets me because my life could be on hold too, because I might not be able to work if she does not get better.”

Infantile epilepsy can improve and go away by the time a child is four, but this is not confirmed, and some children continue to live with it.

Miss Cox has raised over £1,000 for UK Charity, UKIST, who support children with the condition.

She said: “It has helped me because I can post questions and other parents have recommended a steroid, which the doctors will not allow me to have, but I am looking at a second opinion.”

Around 400 children a year are diagnosed with infantile spasms in the UK.