A TRUST fund set up in memory of an epileptic girl is pioneering initiatives to help other children with the condition.

Abbie Clarke was diagnosed with the illness when she was five and died in her sleep aged ten.

Last October, staff from the paediatric department at The James Cook University Hospital, Middlesbrough, received a £30,000 donation from Abbie’s parents, Tracy and Richard.

The couple launched Abbie’s Love, a charity supporting research into epilepsy, in memory of their daughter, and it is now starting to make a real impact by helping to fund new services.

They include a comprehensive patient database, thought to be one of the first of its kind in the country, is gathering information about children with epilepsy, including their medication and symptoms.

A support group run by a specialist epilepsy nurses is running for families in Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland.

And video equipment allowing parents to film seizures has also been bought, enabling hospital consultants to view the attack.

The fund also provides sufferers with the latest information and is taking part in a regional research project looking at sudden unexpected death in epilepsy, which is what Abbie died of in December 2006.

Mrs Clarke, of Coulby Newham, Middlesbrough, said: “It is wonderful to see after just over two years of By Lucy Richardson lucy.richardson@nne.co.uk hard work raising money with the support of our 14 charity trustees, family, friends, workmates, Abbie’s school and local people, that this money being put to good use in helping other children with epilepsy.

“Hopefully, one day, through the research being carried out into sudden unexpected death in epilepsy, we will get the answer we set out for when we set up Abbie’s Love in memory of our beautiful daughter.”

Dr Ramesh Kumar, consultant paediatrician, who has a special interest in epilepsy, added: “Abbie’s trust fund is a great and useful investment that will benefit a lot of children with epilepsy.

“We have taken steps to improve care of children and will keep working very closely with Tracy and Richard to improve the comprehensive care of children with epilepsy in our area.”

For more information about the charity, go to abbieslove.com