X Factor winner sparks concern as she shares pictures of son covered in bruises in hospital after ambulance dash
X FACTOR winner Sam Bailey sparked concern as she shared pictures of son covered in bruises in hospital after an ambulance dash.
The singer, 47 - who took part in the ITV singing show in 2013 - took to Instagram to raise awareness of epilepsy month.
Sam's son Tommy, 15, has the condition of the brain - which can disrupt the electrical communication between neurons in the nervous system.
The TV star shared what it has been like for her son and the rest of their family.
She shared the reality of having the condition with pictures of Tommy being helped by paramedics and him in hospital.
Sam captioned the post: "This month is epilepsy awareness month!
More on X Factor
"So here I am, showing you how traumatic it has been for us the last year!
"Anyone who needs to understand epilepsy, just know this… as a family we are like sitting ducks everyday, wondering when he will have his next one.
"He is on medication in which we have to administer twice a day, Tommy will forget if we don’t physically put it in his mouth.
"He gets tired, he gets frustrated with me wrapping him in cotton wool but that is all I know how to do.
";Our youngest can’t even be in the same room as him alone as she is petrified that he may have another seizure.
"We worry every second of every day and yet Tommy just takes it all in his stride!
"This is our “normal” I would like to say a huge Thank you to @emasnhstrust and @youngepilepsy for being amazing and Tom’s epilepsy nurses and consultant , without of which I would be loosing my marbles around about now!"
Back in February Sam gave fans a health update.
She wrote on Instagram: "My handsome boy this morning eating his brekkie before school! I’m just sitting here watching him and reflecting on out time the last few months.
"Here he is wearing his epilepsy watch which we have had to buy since he had several seizures in December.
What is epilepsy
What is epilepsy?
Epilepsy is a condition of the brain which can disrupt the electrical communication between neurons in the nervous system.
This often leads to seizures, a sudden event that can change a person’s awareness, behaviour or feeling.
The condition is typically diagnosed when a person has two or more unprovoked fits separated by at least 24 hours.
Epilepsy can begin at any age, but it tends to affect people either in early childhood or who are older than 60.
National Epilepsy Week began on May 20, 2019, and runs through to May 26, 2019.
The campaign is focused on tonic clonic seizures as these are the type of seizure that are most easily recognised.
Epilepsy Society’s new campaign gives people three simple but key instructions to remember in an emergency: “Calm, Cushion, Call.”
"It’s been a very scary time for us especially witnessing a VERY bad seizure on Christmas Day.
"Having autism has made it a lot harder as Tommy doesn’t like change and all of a sudden we are watching him constantly and fussing over him so much more and this has been too much for him at times.
"We don’t know what has caused them, we don’t know when another one will happen.
"We have all done research on seizures and have had lots of advice.
"Trying not to be “google doctors” but it’s so difficult when you don’t know what is causing your son so have these horrendous seizures so suddenly.
What are the symptoms?
What are the symptoms of epilepsy?
The effects of epilepsy are most visible when a sufferer experiences a seizure.
Fits vary in severity and can be partial or generalised, epileptic people can battle these episodes when they’re awake or asleep.
The NHS reveals the main symptoms of partial seizures, which include:
a general strange feeling that is hard to describe
a "rising" feeling in your tummy – sometimes likened to the sensation in your stomach when on a fairground ride
an intense feeling that events have happened before (déjà vu)
experiencing an unusual smell or taste
a tingling sensation, or "pins and needles", in your arms and legs
a sudden intense feeling of fear or joy
stiffness or twitching in part of the body, such as an arm or hand
The National Health Service warns that these signs could be early warnings that another type of fit is imminent.
Complex partial seizures are also signs of epilepsy, as they cause your sense of awareness and memory to become distorted.
The NHS claims that symptoms can include:
smacking your lips
rubbing your hands
making random noises
moving your arms around
picking at clothes
fiddling with objects
adopting an unusual posture
chewing or swallowing
Although fits can be a tell-tale symptom of epilepsy, non-epileptic seizures may point to other conditions, including diabetes.
"I wish to thank the ambulance crews and doctors that have been amazing with him.. let’s hope we get some answers soon."
Back in 2022 Sam opened up about her son being diagnosed with autism two years prior.
When he was initially diagnosed, Sam opened up about being wracked with guilt over the way she's treated her son.
Sam shares her three kids Tommy, Brooke, and Miley with husband Craig Pearson.
The mum-of-three won the tenth series of the ITV singing show in 2013.
She's released two albums - The Power of Love and Sing My Heart Out - over the years.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
The star has become a huge theatre name.
She's appeared in various shows including Chicago, Beauty and the Beast, Fat Friends and Now That's What I Call a Musical.