Hollyoaks star reveals terrifying health scare saying ‘I can no longer shower, walk my dog, nip to the shop or be alone’
HOLLYOAKS star Ellie Henry has revealed she's suffered a terrifying health scare, leaving her unable to "shower, walk my dog, nip to the shop or be in the house alone".
Ellie, 23, who played Freya Calder in the Channel 4 soap, shared a deeply personal update with fans as she took to Instagram.
Revealing a terrifying setback in her battle with epilepsy, she opened up about her struggle after experiencing a seizure out of nowhere.
In an emotional post on the platform, the actress shared that she had been seizure-free for almost five years before this sudden event.
Alongside a photo of herself sitting on a grey car and holding a 0 balloon, she wrote: "I should be celebrating 5 years seizure free this week but instead I announce 0 days.
"Having a seizure out of nowhere after almost 5 years has been the biggest confidence knock.
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"I’d be lying if I said this didn’t feel like a huge step back but I have to choose to keep moving.
"I can no longer shower, walk my dog, nip to the shop or just be in the house alone as I have to be under constant supervision because my seizures can/have been life threatening which is a big loss for someone who has worked so hard to become independent.
"It does also mean I’ll be saying goodbye to my beloved car and driving licence.
"As a wheelchair user, my car may aswell be my legs and ticket to freedom. The loss hurts a lot. This is life with epilepsy," she concluded alongside a purple heart.
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The talented star played Freya in Hollyoaks from 2022 until her character's departure this year.
During her two years on the show, Ellie became a fan favorite for her portrayal of the student, who was initially introduced befriending Mason Chen-Williams during a school camping trip.
However, a minibus crash caused by John Paul McQueen’s alcohol withdrawal left her paralyzed.
Despite her devastation, she stopped her mother, Lexi Calder, from prosecuting John Paul.
After Lexi’s murder, at the hands of Silas Blissett, Freya left the village.
She returned in July 2023 for the Hollyoaks High School prom, reconnecting with Mason but struggling with memories of her mother’s death and resentment toward the McQueen family.
Off-screen, Ellie has been open about her journey with epilepsy, a condition that affects the brain and causes seizures.
Despite the hurdles epilepsy has presented, Ellie has always been an advocate for raising awareness about the condition.
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Epilepsy is a neurological condition that affects approximately 1 in 100 people in the UK.
Seizures vary widely in severity and type, and while many people with epilepsy can manage the condition with medication or other treatments, others experience more severe and life-threatening episodes.
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.
