Like everyone who has watched, we have been blown away by the incredible TV series, Brain Doctors.
The four-part documentary recently concluded on Virgin Media and offered an in-depth look at the world of neurosurgery, following Ireland’s leading neurosurgeons and the dedicated teams of doctors, nurses and other professionals who support neurosurgery patients as they tackle complex and life-changing brain procedures. It was wonderful to see familiar faces from the epilepsy monitoring unit and the neurology team at Beaumont feature prominently in the series.
At Epilepsy Ireland, we have long recognised the exceptional work being done within the Beaumont neurosurgery department. Many individuals we have supported have benefited from the potentially lifesaving and transformative epilepsy surgeries offered there. We have seen first hand the positive impact of these procedures, with patients often returning to share their inspiring stories and experiences.
One of the most poignant journeys highlighted in the series was that of Katie Cooke, who transitioned from experiencing daily debilitating seizures to near seizure freedom by the conclusion of the documentary. Katie has been a wonderful epilepsy advocate for many years – having featured in the ISeeBeyond awareness campaign (see video below) some years ago showcasing her resilience taking part in marathons despite the challenges of having regular seizures.
We are thrilled to witness the positive changes in Katie’s life following her surgery and hope for her continued good health. We’d also like to congratulate Katie on her recent engagement!
Although surgery is not a viable option for everyone, and while it has to be recognised that positive outcomes can never be guaranteed, the impact of the neurosurgery services at Beaumont has been immense.
Like many aspects of our health services, the neurosurgery department faces significant pressures, and we fully support the need for increased resources to alleviate this strain. Enhanced support for the neurosurgery service would enable more individuals with epilepsy to be assessed as potential candidates for these life-changing procedures.
One of our key advocacy campaigns is to use our voice to seek improvements in epilepsy services and infrastructure in Ireland. Increased investment and support for our national neurosurgery centre is a core element of our epilepsy service in Ireland and we stand willing and ready to support our colleagues in the medical community to advocate for the additional resources they need to further enhance patient care, and deliver seizure freedom to even more people impacted by epilepsy.
For more information on epilepsy surgery, please visit the ‘Treatment’ section of our website. If you would like to watch the Brain Doctors series, visit the Virgin Media website.
We would like to congratulate everyone involved in the production of this incredible series – with a particulate note of appreciation to Katie for sharing her journey so openly and raising so much awareness of living with epilepsy.
If you need any support or information on your or your loved one's journey with epilepsy, please do not hesitate to contact your local Community Resource Officer. You can find their details by visiting the 'Our Local Service' section of our website.